We Always Play Games - By ICNeo0bliVion
by ICNeo0bliVion
Summary: The stories go with a Gamer always trying to do good in the world they're reborn in, but good is a subjective term. What qualifies as 'EXP' for a player, could be drastically different for those who actually live in the RWBYverse. [RWBY/The Gamer] [Anti-Villain/Antagonistic! OC]
1. 01 - New Game

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _Antagonistic OC, death, gore, kidnapping, etc._ **_Further warnings will be addressed at the end of this chapter._**

 ** _Summary:_** _The stories go with a Gamer always trying to do good in the world they're reborn in, but good is a subjective term. What qualifies as 'EXP' for a player, could be drastically different for those who actually live in the RWBYverse. [RWBY/The Gamer] [Anti-Villain/Antagonistic! OC]_

 _This is an Antagonistic!OC. This means there will be some less-than-socially acceptable things in this story. If you're uncomfortable with these things, or deaths, read at your own risk._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

Blurs, fizzing, piercing pains in his chest, they were the things he felt.

When he woke up, there was a gasp. The man turned, tightly gripping the bed for support, only feeling the soft quilt covering his body. Things surrounded him from one direction to another; all were obscure shapes that seemed vaguely human. How many were there? Four, five, six or seven? Regardless, there was nothing to come from his thoughts, and he was too stupefied to make sense of things.

The man moved his right arm; touching his left wrist to pinch it. He stopped at the feel of soft skin, a contradiction to the rough, tough skin he was expecting. Then, he was staying still. The man couldn't remember what had torn him to shreds, but he could still feel the muffled sensation of pain throbbing in his chest. Every pull or tug made him feel stinging pain. He sniffed the miasma of disinfectant drenching across the walls - its pungent scent assaulted his nose and submerged him back into that haze of confusion. He could hold the tender covers of his bed, but he couldn't even see the colours of the bed. What was going on?

'̴͕̠͋Ả̷̠͗ ̴̦̙͘f̴̬̦̏̽a̵̯͘m̶͙͑̋i̵̺̇̅l̷͉͛y̵̳͝,̷̯̀ ̷̯̄̂c̷̰̏̐ò̷̺̘̃ȗ̵̦̣l̷̠̿͆d̸̼͓́̚ ̷̬̀͑b̴̭͑̊e̶͔̚ ̶̹͇̏̈́t̵̩͑̚h̷͎͝r̸͉̒̔o̶̙͕̽ũ̴̼̼̎g̸̥͒͝h̶̠̺̊͠ ̸͓̿b̵̖͊l̷̹͓̕ó̴̙o̴̧͈̾d̴͙̎͛,̷̡̦͛̿ ̵̟̳́̓ǫ̸̢̿̚r̶̨͍͂ ̸͓͈͐̿s̷͙̀ő̸̞͇́m̶͝ͅë̷̯̼́t̶̺͊̕h̸̻͖́͠i̴̧̓̽n̸̝̅̆g̴̨̨̈́́ ̵̙͆͛͜p̶̫͕̿r̷̮̓ỏ̷̢͖͘f̴̲͝o̷͓͐̋u̶̪͆̚ͅṋ̴͒d̸̩̑̎.̷̰̜̕'̶̝͝

All of a sudden, the hospital ripped away to show sunset skies, and he gasped. The world was torn into two; twisting to reveal the engulfing skies that covered his eyes, never refusing, or relenting, in its efforts to amaze him. But, this place, this place was something so much more than what met his eyes. Spires of bricks were sprawled into vivacious tower and a soothing; if not awe-striking, calming sea whisked away his panic. It just grabbed his feelings of stress out of his stomach, lurching forward, and throwing it away like it wasn't there.

He refused to stop looking up; lest he stare at the ground below, and it wasn't going to help the situation. His situation. In silence, he stared and stared, hoping for something to change. But, nothing changed.

It wouldn't change; it wouldn't change at all.

His _mind_ was unfurled - but he couldn't do anything. He wasn't registering anything, didn't understand how he was breathing, and he was barely conscious. His vision flickered like a breaking lamp; and, it was getting worse. And this he believed: that he was confused, he had been stupefied by the mind-bending world around him, without being in control of himself or anything else.

The sheer sounds of buzzing and fizzing entered his head - and he breathed slowly. He needed to be calm: he was fine, even if he didn't know what this place was, even if he couldn't see his friends and family anywhere. He couldn't afford to panic in such a dire situation, and god-forbid, logic-defying situation. There were many things running in his head: the fact he was alive; that he still existed; and how he could recognise a voice in his head. Nothing was making sense - but there was no way he could understand what was going on.

What was going on, and what was that voice in his head? Was it his voice?

'̷I̴t̷ ̴w̴o̴r̸k̸e̴d̴.̶ ̶I̷'̵m̴ ̸a̷l̶i̶v̴e̵.

 ** _\- GAME -_**

 _ **[Welcome to RWBY: The Game!]**_

 _ **[A world personally created for you - and all those who are lucky enough to enjoy it!]**_

 _ **[Be a criminal, murderer, pacifist, all the same. It's YOUR world!]**_

 _ **[Your name is Jaune Arc.]**_

 ** _\- GAME -_**

He sighed, shook his head, and tapped the giant pixel screen.

 _ **\- DIFFICULTY -**_

 _* Inventory is unlocked. All achievements can be unlocked. Less than usual item space, more complex compass system, higher enemy stats but 3x EXP until you finish Initiation. (Can be negated by titles: cost being that titles won't stack effects.)_

 _* AGILITY = 1.5* the normal AGILITY stat of an individual. E.G, 15 = 22.5._

 _* Unknown Consequences._

 _* Set to Legendary Mode._

 _ **\- DIFFICULTY -**_

Another series of taps were heard.

 ** _\- SEMBLANCE -_**

 _SEMBLANCE: OVERDRIVE -_ _(Passive) [Locked]_

 _NOTE: This game will not give you skills - you will need to invent them._

\- **_SEMBLANCE_** -

 _ **-** CHARACTER STATUS **-**_

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer_**

 ** _Level: 1_**

 ** _Age: 16_**

 ** _HP: 100/100_**

 ** _MP: 100/100_**

 ** _AP: 0/0 (Will be unlocked by ? during the ? in the ?)_**

 ** _EXP: ?/? (EXP will be available after the Tutorial.)_**

 ** _Location: Tutorial_**

 ** _Strength: 8 [8]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 9 [9]_**

 ** _Vitality: 8 [8]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 15 [16]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 14 [15]_**

 ** _Perception: 12 [13]_**

 ** _Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/100 (One point per minute, a point is recovered once every six hours.)_**

 ** _Weapon: Crocea Mors: The blade that finished wars - destroyed lives - and saved them. This gives twice as much damage to a Grimm, with a normal damage output for humans. This is your starter weapon; though I'd advise you to keep using it until people expect you to fight with it all the time._**

 ** _Semblance = ?_**

 **-** _CHARACTER STATUS_ **-**

He already made mistakes, regrets, and even failed his own life, once. There wasn't a chance in hell that he'd let _anyone_ control him. Not a chance in hell.

 _ **[Are you ready to start the game?]**_

He looked at the screen in his eyes; flickering down to the covers of his bed.

 _'Yes, I am. I'd appreciate it if I got out of the skies, thank you.'_

 _ **[Very well, Jaune Arc.]**_

Only silence remained.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ Hubworld ~TFNF~_**

* * *

 ** _[Welcome,_ Mr Arc, _to the Hubworld.]_**

 _"What the hell is this place?"_

It was quiet - and the man was eyeing a brilliant white hall. There were a series of windows, each adorned contrasts of red and blue, showing nothing but a plaza with one grand garden of varied plants. From roses to daffodils, the place was filled with them, with vivacious sycamore trees too. It looked fascinating, complimented by its bizarre approach in looks. Combined with the simple structure - and the area was given an appealing beauty. Well, compared to his own lab, anyway.

He wasn't used to admitting it _was_ his lab.

But, he thought, beauty can be deceiving. The looks of a person or entity don't show the character of the being itself, it just seems appealing. It isn't appealing; it just looks appealing. But, what could you use as an example? A solution becoming more problematic than the original problem would be an example. How many times has that lesson been applied? He'd lost count - put those events into a page and it'd need an entire library to accommodate the details.

It was a shame that humanity didn't learn that lesson. They just wanted more things.

However, he wasn't ashamed to admit he was a hypocrite.

 **[You sound rather surprised, Mr Arc.]**

"My apologies, Game, can you explain why we're here?"

 **[Using the Chekhov's Gun approach, are we? Very well.]**

 **[QUEST]**

 **[MISSION DETAILS: Complete the tutorial.]**

 **[REWARDS: None.]**

 **[NOTE: You already know the system of the Game, so we'll skip the introduction to your stats, figure them out yourself.]**

 _"Alright, Game, start the tutorial."_

 **[Beginning Tutorial. I recommend you close your eyes during the loading period.]**

From there, he closed his eyes, and covered them. _'I hate it when there's bright lights in my eyes, I despise when that happens. There is a reason why I'm terrified of not seeing properly.'_ He cringed at the sounds of metal clanging, the sound grating his ears as he grit his teeth. It sounded horrible, disgustingly horrible, giving him no time to focus-

 **[Now, open your eyes.]**

Then, he put his arms down from his eyes, only to gaze at a small arena. There were a series of robots in a line, side-by-side, with their own variation of colour schemes. One robot was black with red lines on it, whilst another had a contrasting colour scheme.

 _'But that isn't important right now; what I need to think about is getting out of here. And, of course, figuring this out.'_

 _ **[Mr Arc, stand on the podium to your left.]**_

He walked to the podium.

"Holy shit!" Jaune exclaimed, at the sight of two white flashes on the side of his hands. A shield appeared in the one hand, whilst there was a sword in the other.

 _'Crocea Mors? I'm wielding Crocea Mors! Of all weapons?!'_

 _ **[Because of the difficulty in this Game, I have decided that encouraging self-independent gaming is the best route to take.]**_

 _ **[Your objective is to destroy the robots. Failure to do so will bring dire consequences.]**_

"Do you really have to talk about dire consequences, right now?"

 ** _[Your objective is to destroy the robots-]_**

"Fine, fine! I'll take them down!"

At that, the robots sprung towards him, with a massive bang heard from the distance.

Of course, it ended up with a massive failure on his part. He was decimated: his kicks were over-extended; his fists were angled awkwardly; every hit would return with a few more hits back; his defence wasn't even great. For every punch, there was a light tap, like as if he was just barely hurting it at all. It took minutes before Jaune gave up; raising his hands into the air and sighing.

 ** _[Do you want me to fight them?]_**

 _'Yes, please. Thanks.'_

 ** _[I'll do it - but only because you were polite.]_**

After a few moments, what seemed to be like a holographic body appeared into the room. It was red - and it had a series of badges strewn across its chest, almost as if it was wearing them with pride. Pride. How odd would it be to meet an AI that was prideful? Alas, it didn't matter, but considering how the machine was fighting them off...

It put him to shame.

With that, the machine raised his shield upwards, and slammed it into a robot's face. Then, the red body swung its legs around, throwing it into another machine. Suddenly, he was booted in the face, and thrown across the area. As if it was on reflex, the Game's body slammed Crocea Mors into the ground, halting his momentum as he did so. He scowled - and it was because the robots were doing something strange.

The robots seemed to stand up, and stare. They kept staring. It was almost as if...

They were expecting the Game to make the move.

 _'Well, in that case,'_ The Game cracked his knuckles, and ran towards them. _'He's going to go for an offensive strategy.'_ At that, he threw his shield towards one robot, splicing its legs from its body when the shield sliced through it. After that, the Game grabbed the left arm of the robot and _swung._ Then, there was violent screeching when the robot was pulled, when the robot was slammed into surrounding machines.

The Game was staring at a legion of robots, robots that wanted to obliterate it. At times, Jaune could see some sort of almost invisible smile, almost as if it was amused by the fight. How strange could a machine be? The man glanced at the shield on his left, only for the Game to run and slam his sword into the ground, sliding across the arena. He felt the wind blowing against his face, his jaw-dropped at the sight of robots chasing it, he heard the fervent taps grow closer and closer-

-Only for the Game to swing around and bash one machine in the face with his sword. Flinging himself onto the shield, and he whistled at the sight of ruined robotic limbs in the distance.

 _'You know, if this is a dream, this is the craziest dream I've ever had!'_

With a shit-eating grin, it flipped over his shield, grabbed it and the sword and bulldozed through the robots. He leaped over one swinging arm, only to knock it to the ground with a overhead swing. At that, he gave a roundhouse kick to another, watching as it tripped into a series of machines that blew up.

"That's how you fight, guys! You don't dramatically say dialogue whilst in a fight-!"

At that, the Game was punched in the face, only to glare at the robot who did it. It was the black robot from before, which seemingly commanded the rest.

 ** _[TUTORIAL BOSS: Commander Of The Bots]_**

 ** _HP: 1000/1000_**

 ** _MP: 0/0_**

 ** _SP: 0/0_**

 **STR: 8 [8]**

 **DEX: 9 [9]**

 **VIT: 8 [8]**

 **INT: 15 [16]**

 **WIS: 14 [15]**

 **PER: 12 [13]**

 _ **[MINI-BOSS: Commander Of The Bots]**_

 ** _[Mr Arc, this is a MINI-BOSS. They're BOSS-CLASS enemies; but they aren't important. Well, except for a few...]_**

With that, the Commander launched a flurry of punches, kicks, and twists at the Game. It manoeuvred around the robot; barely dodging various hits. A moment later, he was sent flying. He was punched! With that, the Game grabbed Crocea Mors, and ran towards the machine in front of him.

With that, it delivered a combination of kicks and twists, swinging all he could at the opposite machine. Yet, the machine dodged, with an expressionless gaze. It stood, in the silence, expecting him to do another move. It forced the red man to raise an eyebrow. At that, he ran quicker than before, only to find that the machine kept dodging over and over again.

 _ **[Sometimes, Mr Arc, you'll find that some battles can't be won through strength.]**_

 ** _[Let me give you a demonstration.]_**

At that, the robot became aggressive. It launched itself at the Game, recklessly throwing punches and kicks. The red man blocked again and again, only to twist and swerve around the robot. Then, the body tripped the robot over, sending it to the ground with a bang.

 _ **[You see, in this world, battles aren't won through just strength. They're won through tactics, dirty tricks,** **and strength.]**_

 _ **[Now, observe the next demonstration.]**_

Then, it ran towards the robot, which was giving everything it had. It would look for every cheap trick, disadvantage, and weakness that the Game possessed. The Commander swerved around it; overwhelming the opposite machine with brutal attacks. It launched a series of missiles; which missed. At that, it had a red screen, becoming overheated from the attack. Then, the screen was black, and the robot plummeted to the ground.

 _ **[However, overdrawing yourself brings dire consequences.]**_

 ** _[That is the end of the combat tutorial. If you seek further guidance, I recommend you analyse the manual.]_**

 ** _[Farewell, Gamer. Enjoy your freedom.]_**

At that, the area collapsed, becoming a bright white. Jaune covered his eyes; which blinked from the intense light.

* * *

 _'What's going on?'_

His first thought upon waking up was that where ever he was smelled like antiseptic and excessive cleaning agents-opening his eyes confirmed his suspicion. At the moment, he was in a miniature hospital room with one other person-blonde, female, most likely in her twenties. Early twenties, perhaps, and was she an Arc? She looked like _Jaune_ of all people; except, she looked like an older, female version of Jaune. The woman was sleeping by the bed-side on a small chair at his bedside, dressed in what looked like _unique_ armour. A tall woman, without any doubt, and she was dressed with gauntlets, bracers, and some sort of head piece that was silver. However, under her armour, was rather normal clothes. Jeans, a belt, black heeled boots, but what stood out was her sombre look.

 ** _[Name: Juniper Arc]_**

 ** _[Title: Unnamed Aegis]_**

 ** _[Relation: Sister to Jaune Arc.]_**

 ** _[LVL: ?]_**

 _'Oh for god's sake! I'm not Jaune Arc-!"_

"-Jaune? Can you hear me? Jaune?"

Admittedly, the woman in front of him was rather pretty, but she seemed to be the kind of woman _he_ found interesting. Not because of her high-standards in looks, but the look on her face suggested that there was something more to her than the situation called it to be. What was her purpose? Was she going to be some sort of figure like Pyrrha? Was she a thief, a murderer, or some normal person? Thinking about questions like these had grown accustomed to him; you never know what kind of person you're talking with, no matter what.

But what he would always know is the annoying light that kept making his eyes _scream_ with pain.

"My fucking eyes are going to get annoying, too quickly," He spoke with a croaky voice. A subtle snicker from the woman drew his curiosity, before she sat up and stared at him. She had vivid green eyes - but the look on her face, the morose but frustrated look on her face made him raise an eyebrow.

"You're up." She said - and I couldn't even tell if she was sarcastic or not. Her voice was soft, quiet, subdued because of the fact that she just woke up. However, it could've been because she had a cold or she was just that stressed from what happened before Jaune's death.

"Jaune, are you alright?" she asked, standing from her seat to open the windows for fresh air, her nose crinkling at the smell of antiseptic.

"I feel like someone just fucking threw me off a cliff," Jaune grumbled - and he noticed the silence from woman who just walked to his bedside. It hasn't even been five _minutes_ and he was already tempted to murder some idiot across the street. It said a lot about the place he was in.

But the look on Juniper's face made him looked away with a small sigh, "No," She turned with a worried expression on her face, "I'm _not_ fine. I don't know where I am, I don't know why I'm here, and I don't even remember what happened. Can you please tell me what happened?" Seeing her expression, I gestured for her to sit down, watching as she put her hands on my visible left hand. Soft, cool hands pressed against mine-but her hands felt calloused and rough.

"You don't remember?" She said softly, "You were swept up in a fight between Torchwick and the police. Apparently, Torchwick shot you and they had to unlock your aura..." His eyes widened with shock - but he kept a deep breath in to calm down. _'What the fuck? They couldn't have unlocked my aura; it's locked. My MP is unlocked...'_

"Wait. What?" He blinked. Nothing rang any bells, but Roman Torchwick did - and so did _aura_. "Roman Torchwick?"

"Yes, the doctors were operating on you for hours," She paused to look away, "You even were declared dead for a few minutes."

 _'Jesus Christ,'_ He sighed, shaking his head. Palming his face, "Look, I don't know how to say this properly, but I don't remember anything."

She paused, "What do you mean by that, Jaune?" She said softly.

A brief look towards the windows avoided her eyes, before a quiet voice was heard. "I don't remember who our parents are," He spoke with hesitance at the last word, "I don't even remember how many sisters we have."

The blonde blinked, before all expression left her face. "Do you remember who gave you Crocea Mors?"

"No," He looked at Juniper with a morose expression, "I don't."

A moment later, her expression drifted with a sigh, seemingly slumping into her chair. "Do you even remember anything at all?"

Shit. This situation was abso-fucking-lutely shit. He must've replaced Jaune with his own soul; basically killing him for good. Of course, his sister would've noticed something was off - but it wasn't like he could bring himself to lie. Not when he, well, was the only person to ever live on Earth and Remnant. He couldn't tell her that he replaced the body of Jaune Arc- that was already fucked up on another level and the Game would do definitely do something about it. He couldn't bring himself to lie; Juniper had already caught on with his... _status._

So, there was only one option.

"I remember little pieces; but they're foggy." He admitted, watching Juniper's eyes drift away from his. "Frankly? I don't remember much; I don't remember who I am, nor do I remember anything about your name or anything else. I'm sorry," He spoke softly; almost dropping to a whisper.

Juniper shook her head, simply pressing a red button by the bedside. "It's okay, Jaune," She spoke, "I'll get the doctors; we'll have you up in no time, I swear."

Jaune sat there, glancing at the windows outside, showing the same evening sky as before.

 _'I'm the last living human from Earth; how unbelievable...'_

A few minutes later, Juniper walked in with the doctor, only to see Jaune asleep in his bed. Juniper sighed, speaking quietly. "He doesn't recognise me - and he doesn't even know the names of our family."

The doctor sighed, "Judging on the scans of his brain, there seems to be... something different about his brain. We don't understand what it is, but it seems to have changed his perception of the world."

Juniper looked towards Jaune, "Is he...?"

The doctor shook his head, "I don't know. _Nobody_ has ever been in a case like this, Miss Arc, this case is completely different than anything we've seen."

Juniper spoke, "He did seem okay. He was lucid; speaking, and he even recognised that this place was a hospital."

The doctor nodded, "A very lucky man, he is." He sighed, "If we were a few moments too late, Mr Arc wouldn't have been revived."

"I know," She sighed, "But it feels like my little brother still died; it's like he's been replaced by someone else."

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ Excerpt I ~TFNF~_**

* * *

I thought it was absurd, but it appears my suspicions have been confirmed.

Some dimensions become shredded apart, moreover, they were splitting. Splitting into small pieces of dust? I don't know. It doesn't seem to be dust, but it resembles it. For some reason, utilising the dimensions produces a destabilisation effect. It's effortless to use now - but the damage is remarkable. There are specific patterns showing up, shades that appear to protrude in and out at times; these events never happened before. Why? Why was it doing this? It was almost as if it was about to collapse in onto itself. Some of the parts were folding onto themselves. That never happens.

My semblance depends on these dimensions; I depend on them to summon portals. What if they collapse, and I die because I can't use my semblance? My tribe would be left without its leader - and Vernal would be unprotected. With a world like Remnant, every advantage must be preserved, which is why I'm going to the person accountable for this.

I'm going to come find them.

I have to. For myself, and my people.

* * *

 ** _~ Author's Note ~_**

* * *

 ** _I will first address the warnings:_**

1.) If you do not like _strong_ OCs, then it's up to you whether or not you should continue reading. If you have read any of my other stories, you'd know I prefer writing characters who are not Sues, or OCs that are as bland as an exam. The MC must be on par with the RWBY protagonists, at least.

2.) If you do not like **_the_** **_"bad guys_** ** _"_** **_winning_** then read at your own risk. I cannot promise the MC and the villains will always win, but there is a strong possibility that **_good might not win._**

3.) If you do not like violence, do not read this story.

4.) If you do not like the main character **_lying, tricking, killing,_** read at your own risk.

5.) If you do not like the main character descending into a **_"morally unpredictable"_** person, read at your own risk.

6.) If you do not like the **_"protagonist_** ** _becomes progressively worse"_** angle, read at your own risk.

7.) An important thing to note is that the 'horror' aspects of this fic come in slowly, and when they do, it'll become bloody. You might feel like things are just dramatic, or that the OC/SI is just whining over things and being stupid but when things change, things start to go down. There is a LOT of buildup towards the M rating, but as you progress through the chapters, you'll notice that some parts will begin to become darker. Eventually, you'll see why this is rated M (and has Horror as one of the genres).

8.) Do you see this rating? It's rated **_M_** for a few reasons, guys. There will be gore, there will be violence, there will be implied things that are disturbing and uncomfortable. I can promise you though: there will **_not_** be rape, child molesting, or any of that sort. I won't write about those things. Mutilation? Definitely. Torture? Sure. So, if you are uncomfortable with those things (barring the subjects that I stated I wouldn't write about), then read at your own risk.

If you do decide to read this story, don't like the content because it's about one of the aforementioned things I warned about, and then complain about it, I'll reference this A/N and henceforth, believe you didn't bother to read the A/N.

 ** _This story is AU._**

In regards to the fact that Jaune Arc is dead, and replaced by "Jaune", this is because Jaune Arc died immediately after getting shot. Why is he not in a body-bag? It's because "Jaune", the MC, replaces him with his own soul a few minutes later.

 ** _Now, for those who are new to my stories_** _— **hello! For those who are not**_ _— **well, welcome back.**_

Feel free to ask any questions and give criticism.

* * *

 ** _~ Character Stats ~_**

* * *

 **Name: Jaune Arc**

 **Title: The Gamer**

 **Level: 1**

 **HP: 100/100**

 **MP: 100/100**

 **EXP: ?/? (EXP will be available after Character Selection.)**

 **SP: 0/0 (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?.)**

 **GAMER'S MIND: "Allows the person to stay calm, collected and rational in the majority of circumstances. If broken, the berserk status is initiated by the person. (Berserk: - 70% of INT, WIS, -90% CHA, +20% PER, + 30% STR, +20% AG).**

 **GAMER'S BODY: "Allows the person to interact with reality through that of a video game, abilities range from increasing stats of a specific attribute to improve; developing skills at a quicker pace; quests; inventory; etc.**

 **OVERDRIVE (Semblance): The ability to conduct electricity.**

 **DORMANT ATTRIBUTES:**

 **None.**

 **Location: Tutorial**

 **Strength: 8 [8]**

 **Dexterity: 9 [9]**

 **Vitality: 8 [8]**

 **Intelligence: 15 [16]**

 **Wisdom: 14 [15]**

 **Perception: 12 [13]**

 ** _Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/100 (One point per minute, a point is recovered once every six hours.)_**

 **Weapon: Crocea Mors: The blade that finished wars - destroyed lives - and saved them. This gives twice as much damage to a Grimm, with a normal damage output for humans. This is your starter weapon; though I'd recommend you keep using it until people expect you to fight with it all the time.**

 **Semblance: The Gamer.**

 **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/100**

 **NOTE: The first value of a stat is the BASE STAT. The second value of a stat is known as the FINAL STAT.**

 **BASE STAT: The value of a stat without any influence of bonuses. 8 is an example.**

 **FINAL STAT: The value of a stat influenced by bonuses. [8] is an example.**

 **Location: Hospital**

 **PRIMARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(P):**

 **CROCEA MORS: The blade that finished wars - destroyed lives - and saved them. This gives twice as much damage to a Grimm, with a normal damage output for humans. This is your starter weapon; though I'd recommend you keep using it until people expect you to fight with it all the time.**

 **SECONDARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(S):**

 **None.**


	2. 02 - Grimm Reality

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

A swift breath of air escaped his lips; Jaune gasped. He noticed that there was a mirror on the left side of the walls, showing he was capable of seeing. Jaune squinted his eyes; it was rather bright. However, it could be because of the long sleep. He looked around, noticing that he was still in a soft hospital bed. He blinked once, twice, three times, but the result was still the same. He tried pinching his arm, but that failed.

It wasn't a dream.

Jaune proceeded to hand his left palm to his face. He sighed; realising he wasn't the only one there. To his dismay, Jaune noted the dreadful hospital smell was still there from last time, and there were people to deal with. Strangers - they seemed to be. How many strangers were there? One, two, or three? It was hard to tell; his eyes were being shitty again.

Then, his eyes cleared, showing the young woman from before.

The door opened and a man in a scientific uniform walked in, sending him a nod. "Mr. Arc, it's great to see you awake and doing okay, I'm Doctor Luther and I'll be overseeing your care. Ms. Arc, I believe we need to talk about the additional scans." Not noticing Juniper was there, he blinked as she stroked his hair, slipping off the bed afterwards. "I'll be back, okay Jaune?" she asked, walking in front of the man and leading him outside.

Attempting to hear them through the door, he heard voices - which brought a silent sigh from him. He could hear the voices slowly becoming louder, more clearer, but it didn't matter to him. Outside, Doctor Luther began to explain his condition to Juniper, and what sounded like other people? Fuck. How many were there? It sounded like there were two other people, no, three other people in the room. No, wait, there were more than that-!

"He says he only remembers little bits..." The distress was present in Juniper's voice, leaving him to feel like absolute shit, but it wasn't like he could tell them about the _Game._ How the hell was he supposed to just go back to Earth? He remembered a few things about his past life: his experiments; some bits about his family; and a few more things. Frowning, he tried to remember other things. To his disappointment, there was no reminder; rather, there was nothing at all.

 _'It's official. This Gamer power is a piece of absolute shit - and I would do anything to see my family again,'_ He thought. He had a family, he had siblings, he had nephews and nieces... but he would never see their faces again if he did nothing. Worse, he couldn't feel terrible about it-he felt sad, angry, frustrated, terrified that something was messing with his head... but that was it. Where was the anger he'd feel when he failed to do something? Where was the one-track mind that'd always keep him focused on achieving a goal? They were gone; replaced by fictional characters who have turned into people full-of-life and personality, people who were _living._

If he was going to get back to his family; he had to beat the Game. If it meant he had to deal with Cinder, Torchwick, Neo, or any piece of shit that came in his way, then he would deal with them in due time. He'd make sure of it.

Alright, let's sort out what he knew:

* People were mistaking his aura for MP.

* He managed to come back from death.

* He failed his dream.

* His new goal was to discover his old memories, and come back to his old world.

* He was now the new version of Jaune Arc.

* He was the Gamer - and his semblance was the Game itself.

Those questions, most of them, were answered. However, there was another question to answer: what happened to Jaune before he was swept up between Torchwick and the Vale Police?

Why did Jaune Arc never tell RWBY or JNPR about what happened with Torchwick? Now that he mentioned it, RWBY were fighting Torchwick. He could've said something, anything, to help them. So, why didn't he? Did Torchwick and Jaune meet up prior to canon - and caused some sort of fight?

 _'Excuse my manners - but what the fuck did you do?'_ The man sighed; shaking his head. Why did Jaune want to be a huntsman, again? Sure, the combat was thrilling, and you ended up protecting people, but was saving a few lives worth a sacrifice? Sure, he'd save a few people, but he wasn't going to develop a hero complex and fail to save lives because he couldn't deal with a few people. Besides, he didn't even want to be a huntsman, but that didn't matter. Because _Jaune Arc_ wanted to be a huntsman, he may as well become one to keep consistency with the timeline. _'Besides,'_ He thought, _'It's not like I'm going to play everything out like it happened in canon.'_

However, there was a question in his head: _'Are you sure you don't want to be a huntsman?'_

He blinked. "I don't want to be a huntsman." Jaune rubbed his eyes, yawning a second later. _God_ , he was tired. "After what happened, I need to be one. As a huntsman, you're supposed to protect the people around you. I, absolutely, without a doubt-" Jaune's face crunched into a scowl. "- _despise_ being useless whilst someone's in danger. If I had gone to Signal Academy to be trained-"

"-It wouldn't have made any difference." Juniper closed the hospital door, and Jaune was silent. Juniper shook her head, "Torchwick isn't any criminal, Jaune." She spoke softly, as if her voice was decreasing to a mere whisper, from the confident voice it had been. "We almost lost you. How do you think we feel about this? We're pissed, tired, and scared. What if you died? Hell, you're lucky that Mom and Dad haven't ran over and crushed you to death with hugs." Jaune winced at that, but she must've thought it was because of the idea of him dying.

"What if we lost you?"

He was speechless; Jaune was an idiot. Why did he abandon his family, never mentioned anything about them, or send them letters? Did Jaune even consider mentioning his family more than once? These people weren't the over-protective lot, they were just a normal family. They seemed to be hunters - and he guessed they went to Beacon Academy. However, they weren't normal, weren't they? He _recognised_ that look, after all. On Earth, there were always people who ended up _changed_ by events. Jaune's parents, and to a smaller extent, some of Jaune's sisters were no exception.

He was just trying to answer one question that kept looming in his head: ' _What was the point of going to Beacon?'_

He didn't care about the people in this place, why would he? They were people, yes, but nothing would change if civilians died. On the other hand, if a huntsman died, it could change many circumstances. But, maybe, he felt some sort of ache in his heart for those people, because he knew the most about being weak and useless. Maybe, it was because he _had_ to do this. This was how it happened in the show.

Perhaps, for that reason, Jaune was bitter. After all of this talk about being free - it was a lie. A horrible lie. He wasn't _free_ to make his own choices, to do what he wanted, to fight his own fights. He was Jaune Arc, the failure of the Arc family, who would sneak into Beacon Academy with fake transcripts because of some stupid dream. Pathetic.

His ambitions, his dream, and his goal weren't realised because of a naive idiot.

He sighed, "Can someone unlock my aura?" Then, it was silent.

Juniper gave a suspicious frown, "Jaune?" She asked, "Do you remember what happened yesterday?"

 _'Oh, right. I remember what happened yesterday.'_

With a sigh, he nodded. "Sorry," He yawned, "I'm pretty tired."

Juniper shook her head, "After a shit-ton of sleep? Really?" Jaune gave a dry look to Juniper, making Juniper clear her throat. "Oh, right. Sorry. I'm just not used feeling like..."

"-Like someone replaced your younger brother?" Jaune spoke softly, watching Juniper nod slowly.

 ** _[Stats of WIS/INT has increased by one!]_**

With a silent sigh, the man mentally wiped the screens from sight. A moment later, everything froze, and he was the only person who was moving. In surprise, he yelped. A moment later, after getting over his shock, he stood. Taking a few silent steps across the floor, a quick pull on the curtains revealed a luscious view of Vale. Vale, of all cities, had expressed a colourful combination of architecture and wondrous sights. It looked beautiful.

A glance at the stomach of the city beneath the building proved him wrong. Nearby, there was a massive gate, that seemingly split a small part of Vale into two sections. On one hand, there were fantastic structures, delicate plants, and vivacious attractions across the land. On the other side, however, things couldn't have been more different. It was messy, untidy, undeniably unclean. Oh, and were those slums, too? People, of all shapes and sizes, were covered in dirt. Tattered clothing, messy hair, there seemed to be mess everywhere.

Of course, he'd still be right. The world was still a horrible, horrible place.

He shook his head, and was disgusted. How could anyone trust the authorities in Vale to be reliable?

 _ **[Stats of WIS/INT has increased by one!]**_

Jaune noted that a notification appeared.

 ** _[QUEST: Read this page.]_**

 _ **[REWARDS (S): 495 EXP.]**_

 ** _* The Inventory is your storage dimension. In here, you can store items/loot._**

 _ *** STATUS: The current state of a player - HP, MP, AP, Titles, etc.**_

 _ *** HP: Your overall gauge of life - when this runs out, you are unconscious. If this HP meter goes anything lower than -10, you'll die.**_

 _ *** MP: Energy, known as 'Mana', is a different form of energy. It was a part of your aura.**_

 _ *** AP: The amount of aura, 'soul energy', that is within you. AP has the same consequences as HP - except instead of fainting, you will be sluggish if you run out of aura energy. Attempting to use aura afterwards has dire consequences.**_

 _ *****_ _ **Titles: Titles give buffs and debuffs. They are a large part of gameplay, and they also give different ways to play the game.**_

 ** _* EXP: EXP is an acronym for 'experience points'. If you fill the EXP bar, you 'level up', gaining stat points._**

 _ *** Strength/STR: Basically how strong you are - a higher STR increases your damage output and how much weight you can lift. STR is one of the combat stats.**_

 _ *** Vitality/VIT: This is the stat concerning how well you fight off diseases - infections - and the distance that you can run. Whilst AG and DEX focus on how efficient your movements are or how quick you are, VIT focuses on how far you can run. It's pretty much to deal with how the body can take on threats - as well as handle stamina. Upon reaching LVL 40, your HP will rise by one per point in VIT.**_

 _ *** Perception/PER: PER is the ability to perceive your environment and make perceptive conclusions - causing unique interactions with other players and characters. PER is one of the psychological stats.**_

 _ *** Intelligence/INT: INT focuses on the decisions that you can make within the game. When INT is increased - your memory capacity increases, unique dialogue interactions can be chosen, better decisions can be made, etc. Creativity is also increased. INT is responsible for increasing your AP/MP, but this will take effect at LVL 40. Follows the same rule as VIT.**_

 _ *** Wisdom/WIS: Wisdom concentrates on the decisions that are the best to use. When WIS increases - the cost of using MP decreases. A psychological stat.**_

 _ *** Agility/AG: AG is focused on the reaction time of a person and the velocity that said person can reach. The higher your AG, the shorter your reaction time and the higher the maximum velocity. This is another combat stat. [This stat is being calibrated for patch 1.01 - the stat will be your LVL when patch 1.01 occurs.]**_

 _ *** Dexterity/DEX: DEX concentrates on your skills - how efficiently you can move your body during events. As your DEX increases, the amount of wasted movements in a task decreases. As a result, tasks are completed at a quicker pace. This includes increasing the speed of a weapon - how fast you can use that weapon. This is a 'neutral stat', where both psychological and combat variables are in play with this stat.**_

 _ *** Any stat increases by weapons are applied only when the weapons are equipped - not when they're in the inventory. If used by an enemy, any stat increases will be multiplied by two as debuffs.**_

 _ **[QUEST COMPLETE: Rewards have been accepted.]**_

 _ **[Jaune Arc's LVL has increased to 6: SP = 30]**_

 _ **[Choose your stats point distributions.]**_

 _\- STATUS -_

 _ **Strength: 8 [8]**_

 _ **Dexterity: 9 [9]**_

 _ **Vitality: 8 [8]**_

 _ **Intelligence: 15 [18]**_

 _ **Wisdom: 14 [17]**_

 _ **Perception: 12 [13]**_

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/100 (If Gamer's Mind Influence Reaches 100 - Locked Out Of Game - Person Will Die)**_

 _ **Stat Points: 30**_

 _ **(Every time your LVL increases by one, you are given five stat points. Once your level increases to 35 - this will increase to six and so on. The rest of the levels that are respective of this nature are: 50, 100, 150, 200. You could argue that this is OP - but you're in the hardest mode possible - we need to give you a chance to live. Trust me, you'll eat those words.)**_

 _\- STATUS -_

Jaune mulled for a few moments about which stat points to deposit in which stats: _' I suppose having a focus on INT/WIS would make sense - as having MP as a replacement for SP would be invaluable for me in a situation like this.'_

 _\- STATUS -_

 _ **Strength: 14 [14]**_

 _ **Dexterity: 15 [15]**_

 _ **Vitality: 16 [16]**_

 _ **Intelligence: 19 [22]**_

 _ **Wisdom: 14 [17]**_

 _ **Perception: 18 [19]**_

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/100 {If Gamer's Mind Influence Reaches 100 - Locked Out Of Game - Person Will Die}**_

 _ **Stat Points: 0**_

 _\- STATUS -_

He stood still, and clasped the rail of his bed when he felt pain. He barely stopped himself from making any noise, as he felt his body become different. Did it feel stronger, or something? For some reason, it was changing. A few seconds later, he let go, before breathing deeply to calm himself down. That, in his opinion, was rather painful. It took him a few minutes to simmer himself down, but he was managing.

Then, there was a question in his head.

 _'Could the game manipulate me via stats?'_

 _ **[An increase in WIS/INT for recognising the possibility of the Game manipulating you.]**_

' _Thanks, Game. I appreciate your sentimentality.'_ With a sarcastic quip, the man walked over to his bed, and lied down. He needed a rest - even if it was just for _one_ minute. After all of this, he just wanted a break. He wanted to figure himself out, realise what he needed to do in a world like Remnant, and try to understand what was going on.

 ** _[Not a problem, Mr Arc.]_**

A few moments later, time unwinded, and everything began to move again.

"Speaking of which, where is everyone else?"

Juniper looked away, sighing. "Everyone else is pretty much far away, Jaune. You and I are the only ones in Vale."

Jaune paused, "Hold on a fucking moment," He snarled, "You're telling me that this family doesn't give a shit about Jaune-!"

"-No," She spoke with a subtle shake in her voice. "You are Jaune - and we care about you a lot more than you think."

 _'Goddammit, how many times do I have to remind someone or something that I am not Jaune Arc?!'_

"I'm not Jaune," He grit his teeth. "I'm not going to accept the fact that I just replaced someone else, someone who _was_ your brother!"

"That's bullshit! You ARE Jaune Arc, you always will be-!"

"-BULLSHIT?!" He suppressed his voice, before snarling. "I am _not_ Jaune Arc, I never _was_ Jaune Arc, and I will never _fucking_ be Jaune Arc! Can't you just understand that!?"

"No. Let me get this straight to you kiddo; you ARE Jaune!" She gripped her her chair tightly. "Like it or not, you're the same person!"

Jaune rolled his eyes, "Oh, gee, my brother has no memories! Let's assume he's the same person as before, aye?" He bit the inside of his lips and let go to speak again, "Let's just forget what happened to Jaune Arc; let's forget that he existed! Let's just pretend that a different guy never replaced him-!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" She snarled, gripping his hands tightly, before letting go with a glance at the window.

Then, it was silent. Both of them were looking away in the silence; but, Juniper spoke up as her voice became quiet. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap, it's just..."

"It's fine," Jaune spoke with a dull voice. "I'm sorry for snapping, too." He sighed, "I don't know why you still think I'm your brother; I've basically replaced him." A few seconds later, he was thinking to himself, _'And Jaune's gone; I'm the only one who remembers everything. Just like that, just like that, Jaune's gone.'_ Downwards, he glanced, _trying_ to stop Juniper from looking into his eyes. Blood-shot eyes showed his exhaustion; and, it wasn't getting better from there. But, what could he do?

What could _he_ do?

Juniper put a soft hand on Jaune's cheek, noticing the soft but marred skin on her hands; and, Jaune couldn't dare to look into her eyes. "You're wrong. _You're_ Jaune. You're my brother, and you always will be my brother." Jaune ignored his shaking hands, _refusing_ to acknowledge that he was finally breaking down after all-of-this, refusing to let everything get to him.

Then, Juniper hugged him.

"I promise, kiddo." She spoke with a quiet voice, "I will always be your sister."

Then, Jaune hugged her back, acknowledging everything.

Doctor Luther walked into the room with a concerned gaze, "Mr. Arc, Ms. Arc, is everything alright?" He spoke softly. "I just heard the shouting in here, just as I was about to give you the prognosis papers..." He looked away to glance at the window, not subtly showing that he found the situation awkward; and, judging by his actions he didn't seem to be the kind of person to like dealing with these situations.

Some people never deal with them with subtlety; sometimes, they show it with obvious cues.

Juniper let go of the hug, and looked towards him after wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry, Doctor Luther." She spoke, "We got into an argument over what happened, and-!"

"We were upset over what happened," Jaune shook his head and putting his head through his hair. A few moments later, Jaune cleared his throat. "Anyways," He sighed, "Can we look at the prognosis papers?"

Doctor Luther blinked, before speaking. "Of course! His voice raised in pitch, "Anyways, as I was saying... I don't know." He sighed, "Physically? You're fitter than many patients - judging by your comprehensibility, you're dealing with the memory loss quite well. Anyhow, I see no reason to not release you now. However, you could've travelled to say," His voice trailed off, "-Atlas, or Mistral, to have some scans because we have no idea what this is."

He hummed, before wondering, "How much would the insurance cost?"

"Well," Juniper spoke quietly, "It'd cost a lot."

Shaking his head, he replied. "In that case, it won't be necessary." He waved one of his arms dismissively, "I won't be a burden on you, or anyone else, over something that wouldn't be worth it. Anyways, perhaps similar environments would help? If you keep things in the same way as before..."

Doctor Luther nodded, "Perhaps," He paused. "-That'd work; similar environments do serve as great reminders." With a quiet breath, he spoke again. "Oh - and if you ever need help again..."

"I know." Jaune nodded, before speaking. "Thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your help." With a slow nod, Doctor Luther walked out of the room; and, there was a small sigh when the door clacked shut.

Jaune turned to Juniper, "As I was saying, similar environments do encourage a person to remember things. So, did Jaune..." He hesitated when he looked at Juniper's eyes, "Did _I_ have any ambitions that stood out?"

Sighing, Juniper nodded. "You did have an obsession about being a huntsman." She admitted - and paused. "I suppose you want to go to Beacon, right?" Upon looking at his invented glance of confusion, she clarified. "Beacon Academy for Hunters and Huntresses. It's kinda like a final academy of sorts for people who want to to protect Vale. Before all of this, you couldn't enter Signal Academy. Your grades weren't good enough."

"Well, I don't see why not." He sighed, "It's not like I have anything else to look forward to and-!" He stopped speaking, before looking at Juniper with a questioning gaze. "Hold on a moment, how are you going to get me into Beacon?"

Juniper grinned, "Well, since you asked, we had a few strings pulled-!" Jaune frowned, making Juniper's grin widen. "-We called in a few favours, and wrote down some good transcripts!"

Jaune sighed. "Oh for fuck's sake, really? _Why_ did you do that?" Juniper's grin couldn't have widened anymore. "Why not?"

"It was a reckless decision."

"It was worth it." She waved dismissively. "Anyways! You'll be on a crash course with the basics; you'll be training for various months - and hopefully by then you'll be able to deal with it." She grinned, "However, you'll find this harder than you think."

"Really?" He cocked an eyebrow with an amused chuckle. "I've always liked it hard."

Then, Juniper chuckled, making him raise an eyebrow. "What? I just said that I liked it hard-!" Only to be interrupted by a snicker, amplifying in volume when he palmed his face. "Oh for fuck's sake, really? _Really?_ You're laughing your head off because I just said that?" He shook his head, sighing.

Eventually, Jaune rolled his eyes. "Laugh it up, then. I'll just get ready for the hard course." Jaune snorted when Juniper's laughter rung in the room; for, it was ironic how she was laughing about this. Of all things! Well, it wasn't like he hadn't met anyone who acted more ridiculous than her.

The door opened and Doctor Luther returned with sets of paperwork on clipboards. "If you'll sign these discharge papers, you'll be free to go home, Mr Arc."

Thanking Doctor Luther, we watched him walk out of the room with quiet steps - and I looked at Juniper.

"So, do you have any clothes I can borrow? I'm kinda..."

"In a hospital gown? Wow, weren't you acting like a _hard_ person a moment ago?"

"For fuck's sake, Juniper!"

* * *

（╯ ͡° ل͜ ͡°）╯︵ ┻━┻

* * *

The Arc family home was located near the edge of Vale, just enough for a good walk after a bus-ride. It was a shame that he had no map to show where he was going; but, he supposed that it was to be expected. This _was_ legendary mode, a mode where Remnant would not hold back. Interestingly, the area was close to a few bars, and was that Junior's bar by the end of the opposite side? He didn't care enough to find out. While still inside the huntsman patrol zones, it still had a modicum of isolation from the busy traffic of Vale. The house was a three-story tall building, but it didn't bring any intrigue at all. Was there _really_ any major differences between buildings on Earth and Remnant? Now that he thought of it; they did look similar.

The home was made of bricks, not chipped from either enthusiasm in repairs or a impeccable demonstration of care. He'd suspect the former; brick houses were rather strong, non-inflammable, and there _were_ reasons why brick houses were used on both Earth and Remnant. However, just like any other type of house, brick-houses do become eroded and decayed over-time.

There were many things to glance at: pictures of the family; weapons designs; awards and even more. However, of all of the things in the room, what stuck out to him was a series of pictures. It was strange; there were multiple women standing there with the rest of the Arc family - and the man in the centre must've been the father.

"Oh? Let me guess, you're looking at that picture." Juniper chuckled, "I take it you're rather confused?"

He nodded. "Is this kind of thing normal? It's a bit strange." He asked, getting a slow nod as an answer.

Juniper looked at the picture with a steely frown. "Do you remember something about the Great War?"

Jaune blinked. "So-so," He admitted. "It was a war that ended eighty years ago - and it must've caused some sort of tradition?"

Again, there was that peculiar nod of hers. "The Great War was the most devastating war in Remnant's history," She spoke quietly, "So many people died that the tradition was implemented to bring the population up at a faster pace; the war was that horrible."

Jaune hummed, "Is that weird for Remnant?"

Seeing her shrug, Jaune heard her voice permeate the room. "Not really, no. After the Great War, women have outnumbered men by around an average of three to one-seven if you count the Faunus. If anything, dad was expected to have a minimum of _four_ wives, pretty weird but nothing too absurd."

"Oh? What is absurd then?" She stood still at his question.

"You don't want to know." She paused, "Anyways, any other questions?"

"How do you feel about... the whole sharing a man with other people thing?" She raised an eyebrow at his question; answering with a chuckle. "I don't really mind. As long as the man and the women are good people and I genuinely love them, I don't think there are any problems."

With hesitance, he spoke. "Can I go up to my room?" For a moment, Juniper lost her poise, but it was recovered as soon as he saw it. "I don't see why not, Jaune." Her voice was quite hesitant, but regardless of that, Jaune took a few steps towards the room.

 _'It's strange seeing the room of the guy you've taken over.'_ He thought - whilst he cleaned the room. He moved some of the clothing into boxes, organising the set of armour horizontally in a closet, and he was already organising the messy bed that was left behind by a dead person. How joyful was that?

Then, he fell on top of it, asleep.

* * *

 ** _~ Excerpt II ~_**

* * *

Interesting. Very interesting.

It seems that the dimensions were slowly eroding; decaying into smaller parts. They seemed to be cutting chunks of unknown mass from each other, before splitting apart into smaller pieces. Eventually, they'd split so much, that they would be "invisible" to the human eye. They became that small. A solution was needed to fix this issue, but I couldn't find a single hint towards the location of whoever did this.

I don't even know who did it. There are a few candidates, but I'm rather worried that I'd be wrong. On Remnant, being incorrect with your information was a death sentence, and it had killed many people on Remnant. I wouldn't be an exception if I failed.

Regardless, I have to find this person, or thing? I'm uncertain.

Nobody in the tribe seemed to possess something different, or something strange. This was an advantage/disadvantage, simply because it made the search harder. But, it stopped me from losing the trust of my tribe via unfavourable methods. Perhaps, I could speak with my brother once more.

Qrow may have a few answers. Maybe, he could ask Summer's daughter to keep an eye out? She's nothing like her mother, but she could spot a few things.

* * *

 ** _~ Character Stats ~_**

* * *

 _ **Jaune Arc:**_

 _ **Level: 6**_

 _ **Title: (The Gamer)**_

 _ **HP: 600/600**_

 _ **MP: 600/600**_

 _ **SP: 0/0 (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?.)**_

 _ **EXP: 0/670**_

 _ **GAMER'S MIND: "Allows the individual to remain calm, collected and rational in the majority of circumstances. If broken, the berserk status is initiated on the person. (Berserk: - 70% of INT, WIS, -90% CHA, +20% PER, + 30% STR, +20% AG).**_

 _ **GAMER'S BODY: "Allows the individual to interact with reality through that of a video game, abilities range from: increasing stats of a specific attribute to improve; developing skills at a quicker pace; quests; inventory; etc.**_

 ** _Semblance: THE GAMER: Interact with the world with the format of a RPG game._**

 _ **DORMANT ATTRIBUTES:**_

 _ **None.**_

 _ **STATS:**_

 _ **STATS:**_

 _ **Strength: 14 [14]**_

 _ **Dexterity: 15 [15]**_

 _ **Vitality: 16 [16]**_

 _ **Intelligence: 19 [23]**_

 _ **Wisdom: 14 [18]**_

 _ **Perception: 18 [19]**_

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 _ **Stat Points: 0**_

* * *

 ** _~ Character Stat Notes ~_**

* * *

 _ **NOTE: The first value of a stat is the BASE STAT. The second value of a stat is known as the FINAL STAT.**_

 _ **BASE STAT: The value of a stat without any influence of bonuses.**_

 _ **FINAL STAT: The value of a stat after the influence of bonuses.**_

 _ **Location: Hospital**_

 _ **PRIMARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(P):**_

 _ **CROCEA MORS:** **The legendary blade that finished wars - destroyed lives - and saved them. This gives twice as much damage to a Grimm, with a normal damage output for humans. This is your starter weapon; though I'd advise you to keep using it until people expect you to fight with it all the time.**_

 _ **SECONDARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(S):**_

 _ **None.**_


	3. 03 - Never Play With Fire

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

 _Juniper supported him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as they walked upstairs. His eyelids were growing heavier with each step and he gave a large yawn. His hands curled into fists and he coughed. He was too tired to get to Jaune Arc's room on his own. His head was resting in the crook of her neck on her left side, his face turned out. A right hand rose to his mouth, curled to a fist and he gripped her shoulder cloth to keep himself stable._

 _As soon as he landed on the bed, Juniper flicked the lamp on._

 _His eyes finally drifted shut and he gave out another yawn._

 _"Sorry about using the lamp, it's just..."_

 _"Nightmares?"_

 _"Nightmares." He confirmed, "I still can't get my head around it all, you know? It's fucking crazy..."_

 _Juniper sighed. "Jaune, getting over an incident like this so easily just doesn't happen."_

 _"I know." Juniper heard Jaune's voice, and she didn't respond._

 _Jaune wasn't the type to talk about the past._

 _"Good night, Juniper."_

 _"Good night, kiddo."_

 _Jaune slipped off into a pleasant dream, one that wasn't possible to achieve._

 _It wasn't possible, now._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

1.5 Months Until Initiation

"Come on, Jaune. A huntsman never slouches!"

He, otherwise known as Jaune Arc, could admit that Jaune's father was one hell of a man.

With a grunt, Jaune swung Crocea Mors, and he could feel the wind pressing against him. The man before him, _his father_ , jumped onto his shield and slammed his sword against it. The two heard the clang, the sharp whine the shield gave as it shook. "What are you? A pansy who has never fought Grimm?" The man laughed as he looked at Jaune's face; full of grit and determination.

Jaune ducked underneath a fast fist, before tackling the man, only to feel nothing. He impaled Crocea Mors into rough ground, and barely swung himself, spinning to retreat. He felt excited - and the heat of the battle didn't help in stopping it. "You know," Jaune smirked, "I'm going to kick your ass, old man." Then, he heard booming laughter, and he barely dodged a black chain grinding against the ground. "Kick my ass? I'm a world-class professional huntsman, you little shit!"

As soon as the man stopped speaking, Jaune heard the ground crack, and he raised his shield to repel the mighty slam. Jaune was pushed backwards - and his arms were shaking at the sheer struggle to keep himself from being pushed back. His arms felt like they were burning, and he ached all over. Nicholas Arc was grinning, and Jaune was sent backwards by a ferocious kick. Jaune rolled his eyes, spat blood, and slowly walked towards Nicholas. The feeling of weakness tasted like ash in his mouth, and that was why he was standing.

His weakness was the reason why he couldn't do anything, as of late.

Jaune swerved beneath black chains, which lurched around him. He jumped over them, and flipped Crocea Mors upside down and landed on it, riding the chains towards Nicholas. Nicholas rolled his eyes, pulling the chains back towards him. Jaune fell off the chains - and heard a thud. Slowly, Nicholas walked, applauding him before reaching his hand towards Jaune. With a sigh, Jaune took it, and he was lifted onto his feet.

"Well done, Jaune. Well done!" Jaune winced at how _loud_ Nicholas Arc was, but he didn't mind. It was better than being in a hellhole, he supposed, and he was a good man. He stopped applauding when Jaune looked bitter, "That wasn't enough. I should've done better; I should be better-"

"-Oh for god's sake, Jaune, you were incredible." He sighed, putting his hand on Jaune's left shoulder, "We've had this conversation too many times. For a guy who has never had any training prior to these past two months, you've done amazing. Not many kids could do this well in a few months."

Jaune sighed, before looking away in a daze. "I know that. It just feels like..." Nicholas nodded, rubbing Jaune's shoulder, developing a serious look on his face. "I know that feeling, Jaune." To Jaune's surprise, Nicholas spoke softly. There it was, the gentle man he'd come to know. "You feel worthless, pathetic, you feel too _weak_ to do anything." Jaune nodded. "Exactly! It's just frustrating me, and it's getting worse." Then, Nicholas looked back at the house, and gave him a soft smile. "How about we go back inside, and drink some hot chocolate? Maybe that'll cheer you up."

As soon as Nicholas became quiet, the two walked in silence. They trudged over leaves that seemed to crackle, and Nicholas laughed when leaves were blown in Jaune's face. Jaune rolled his eyes, and gave a small smile. Then, the two gazed at the house before them, and the door seemed to crack open when Nicholas turned the doorknob. As the door swung forward, Jaune grabbed its side to stop it from swinging further. Furthermore, the door gave a small whine, indicating it was rather old. Jaune sighed. "When are you going to fix that door, dad?" Nicholas turned, and was sitting on the sofa, before looking at Jaune. "Maybe in a few years," He joked, and Jaune chuckled.

A few minutes later, Jaune sat on the sofa, and he sipped from his cup of hot chocolate. He turned to look at the man at the opposite side of the sofa, and he was surprised to see a sad smile on his face. "You're so different, kid." He took a sip from his cup of hot chocolate, and spoke softly, "You used to whine about how hard it was, how difficult it was to train. You'd always give up, you know?" He sighed. "Now? You're different. You always look so determined - and it's ironic. Who knew my wimpiest kid would have such a change like that?"

Jaune chuckled. "People change, don't they? We go through life expecting to get what we want, and we never do." Jaune sighed, looking away with a thoughtful gaze, back at the windows showing the oak trees outside. Jaune frowned, looking at Nicholas as he spoke quietly. "I'm still shocked, you know?" He was whispering, almost as if he was convincing himself to believe what happened. "I still can't imagine how things turned out this way, I just can't."

Jaune stared at the pixel screen that was in front of him.

-X-

 ** _Sword & Shield Mastery, (Passive Skill), {Unlocked}, [LVL: 15 - 87%]_**

 _Your mastery when it comes to using a sword and a shield. As the level of your mastery grows, your ability to use the things corresponding with that skill develop._

 _Bonus: 15% Bonus Damage when equipped with a sword and a shield, including Crocea Mors._

-X-

Then, Jaune blinked. "Sorry about that." He rubbed his eyes, and he sighed. "I was thinking." Nicholas chuckled, and took another sip from his cup, and turned towards him. He grabbed the remote, and turned on the TV. "It's fine, Jaune. I get a bit like that when I'm lost in my thoughts." Then, after a few seconds, the two of them clacked cups together. For what must've been the first time in two months, Jaune was genuinely glad to be on Remnant.

* * *

（╯ ͡° ل͜ ͡°）╯︵ ┻━┻

* * *

Jaune was a complex boy.

I remember when he was a care-free boy who dreamed that, one day, he'd be strong enough to wield Crocea Mors. I remember how miserable he looked when he'd lose a spar against one of his sisters in a few seconds. Jaune Arc liked to pity himself; rather than train to be better. It was understandable - he would have been discouraged all the same. However, whilst his sisters used their frustration to train, Jaune grovelled. Silently, he'd stand, taking loss after loss. The worst part of it? He'd always try to keep a smile on his face, but we could see his disappointment.

Two months ago, Jaune changed.

Every time I look at the boy; there's a forlorn look in return. He tries, admirably, to hide his pain. I have seen many people who hide their pain - but I'm good at seeing through masks. It's been like this for two months. The rest of the family has made him happier compared to his time in the hospital - and I'm proud of the man he's turned into. But, I believe Jaune blames himself.

As a professional world-class hunter (I pride myself on that title), I have seen many people like him. Jaune was a person who'd never try to show his emotions but hides them. He seems to be wary of anyone who becomes concerned for him, but he's used to us being there for him.

I remember how Jaune was describing the scenes at the club: how there were so many people screaming in the bar; how men in black suits would open fire; how Roman Torchwick would shoot any police officer who was in his way.

Torchwick told a man to open fire on my own son.

You know what the doctors did? They had to unlock his aura - and the doctors were still unsure if he'd survive. They called it a miracle when he woke up from his coma, after escaping death a week before. It was a miracle. Without doubt, and I'll always be grateful that he's alive.

As for Torchwick, that disgusting bastard?

Torchwick seems like the kind of person who'd do anything for greed - even at the cost of so many lives. He'd break lives, ruin them, and throw them down the drain just to get what he wanted. He is a revolting man who uses excuse after excuse to justify his actions. For a man like him, there's nothing that could justify what he did, and I hope that, one day, I fight him. He almost killed my son, and that's enough of a reason to go through country after country to find Torchwick.

Regardless, I'm going to be sitting here, and I'll be there to help Jaune. There is no way that I'm going to let Jaune go through this alone - and his mother's already worried to death over him. He needs our guidance, love, and support. At least, he'd know that there are people who care about him.

* * *

（╯ ͡° ل͜ ͡°）╯︵ ┻━┻

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Nightclub_

 _'Two of the many things that I adored during my time on Earth was drinking in bars and having walks.'_ Jaune chuckled, as he was shaking his head. _'To think I'm getting a drink again after all of this.'_ It was a bizarre experience to see the streetlights - and see people smiling. It was strange, for him, to see so many people dancing. After doing so many jobs and chores, Jaune had enough lien to pay for a few things, to say the least.

Only Jaune and his family knew what he was getting up to - and he didn't mind the privacy. Nobody needed to know about their mass Grimm hunting habits, nor did they need to know why they were taking so many hunting jobs. However, when someone became curious, they'd say that they were just protecting the neighbourhood. A sentimental reason that made them look reliable to the public.

Jaune had spent time with his family: from drinking coffee and hot chocolate with them; to doing too many chores; to practising his fighting skills with Nicholas and his younger sisters; it never ended. The past two months had been rather busy, and it helped him keep his mind off certain things. For tonight, the past was the past, and he'd get to relax. Just as he admitted that, there was the sight of a massive club. Junior's Club.

He walked into the club - and he cringed at the _blinding_ lights. How could you dance in such an area? There were lights on the top of the ceiling - and they were quickly rotating. Then, they'd flash at the crowd. With a chuckle, Jaune walked down the staircase, and headed to the bar. Unsurprisingly, he noticed Roman Torchwick of all people talking with Junior, and Torchwick was leaving a short moment later.

Jaune didn't have any bad blood with Roman; this was because he wasn't the person who he tried to kill. Roman tried to kill _Jaune Arc_ , not Jaune. With the shake of his head, and a sigh, he walked to one of the empty seats.

He looked around; checking if anyone had frequented them earlier. He found nothing. Jaune clasped onto the side of the chair, and lifted himself onto it. The chair was rather soft, and with that, Jaune quietly tapped the surface of the bar. "Sex On The Beach, three cubes of ice, with an umbrella. Please." A man nodded, and excused himself from the bar to make Jaune's drink. Jaune sat there in silence - noticing another man turning to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

It was Junior.

"Aren't you a little too young to drink?" Junior asked, slightly raising an eyebrow. Jaune chuckled. "This is a bar - and I'm willing to pay for a drink. I appreciate the sentiment, though." Junior was silent, before nodding. A few moments later, Junior seemed to look uncertain, which made Jaune raise an eyebrow. Junior began to look at the other bar seats, before speaking quietly. "Don't you know that man, Roman Torchwick?"

 _'He must be talking about that incident.'_

Softly, Jaune swirled the umbrella in the glass, watching it spin around inside. With a soft sigh, Jaune spoke. "It's fine," He shrugged, before giving a tired smile. "I'm over the whole thing - and it's not like he wants to kill me now. Does he?" Junior shook his head, and made another drink for him, which Jaune thanked him for. "He's not my problem."

A few moments later, a flash of yellow appeared on the right side of the chair. It seemed that an _unique_ visitor had come into the conversation, and he was wondering who it was. He turned to look to his right, and he blinked. _'She seems rather familiar. Nah, she can't be her.'_ She seemed to roll her eyes, and chuckle. "Oh come on, it's not like I'm going to destroy a whole club, be a bit cheery."

Jaune swayed. "Sorry about that, I was thinking." The girl raised an eyebrow at that, before putting an arm on the bar. "Two strawberry sunrises. One for me, and one for the guy here." Junior looked at one of the other men, who sighed, and went in the back to make the drinks. "Let me guess, you're about to stare at me or something, right?"

Jaune shook his head, giving a lazy shrug. "No. Why would I?" He rolled his eyes at the little smirk, before turning when she noticed the man from before serving them the drinks. Out of the two of them, only Jaune thanked the man, who had given an annoyed look at Yang. Yang gave a little grin, and was chuckling. "Honestly, guys need to calm down in this club, what's the big deal? It's just a drink."

Jaune sighed. "There's the concept of manners, perhaps you'd like to look into a thesaurus?" Yang gave a grin. "Ooh, big word for a guy who's wasting away in a bar." She laughed at the deadpan look on Jaune's face - then Jaune was beginning to smirk in amusement. "Aren't you a hypocrite? You're here, wasting away by buying drinks for the two of us."

Then, Junior turned towards the two of them, sighing. "Honestly, kids these days." He shook his head, rolling his eyes, putting a palm on his face. "Remind me why kids so young decide to drink so much?" Jaune coughed, and she rolled her eyes. "Aren't you a little too old to be called Junior?" Junior frowned. "Him, I can understand," Junior pointed at Jaune, who frowned at the rude gesture, "But you? Since when do random teenagers know of that name, sweetheart?"

Folding her arms and smirking, she spoke. "Well, it's not like Junior is a subtle name, is it? You know, when it's the name of the bar, and it isn't even hidden well." With a chuckle at the look on Junior's face, she continued. "I go by many names, but I'd prefer it if you called me _sir._ " Junior cocked an eyebrow. "Anyway, I'm here for a different reason." She turned to look at Junior, before revealing a picture of a woman with black hair, and red eyes. Jaune paused. _'Hold on a moment, black hair? Red eyes? Doesn't she look like Qrow Branwen-?'_

Jaune froze. _'-Oh. I'm in RWBY's Yellow Episode, aren't I? That means the girl is Yang.'_

Yang looked at Junior, who seemed to not recognise the woman. "Sorry, I don't recognise her." Yang gave him a look, and then she grabbed his suit hard, Junior cringed. "Sir." Jaune looked at the interaction in silence, sipping from his drink as he did so. _'Oh lord,'_ He swayed a bit more, _'I'm a lightweight, aren't I?'_

-X-

 ** _Poison Resistance: (Passive),{Unlocked},[LVL: 2 - 68%]_**

 ** _Description:_** _The ability to deal with poisons, or to just handle a few drinks. Poison Resistance is a reliable skill - and it can save your life._

 **Bonus:** _2% Poison Resist._

-X-

 ** _[Status: "Drunk" - the user is currently drunk. It may be blurry, nauseous, and it may be difficult to contain your thoughts.]_**

At this point, Jaune was rather drunk, and he was barely keeping his thoughts to be himself. At this point, Jaune was depending on _[Gamer's Mind]_ to keep himself up. Then, Jaune turned to look at the picture, before squinting his eyes. Then, he slowly raised his arm to point at the woman. "Isn't that Raven Branwen? She looks a lot like Qrow Branwen's sister..." He sighed, before taking another sip.

Yang raised an eyebrow. " _You_ know her?" Jaune nodded. "Yeah, I think I do. She seems to be a bit-" Jaune froze.

Yang grit her teeth, before giving a fake smile. "What's wrong? Did you say something a little strange?"

Jaune blinked, before wiping his eyes. "Sorry," He mumbled, "I'm a bit drunk-!"

"-And I'm gonna stop you there," Yang put a hand on Jaune's shoulder, "I'll ask a few questions, okay?"

Jaune nodded, "Sure, sure," He grabbed the front-end of the bar for support, "I'll try my best to answer them."

With a look at his eyes, Yang spoke. "So," She furrowed her eyebrows and took the same picture out, "You know this woman?"

"I do. Or, rather, I know a few things about her."

"Do you know where she is?"

"She's somewhere in..." Jaune paused at Yang's frown, "She's not in Vale. Definitely not in any other villages near it - but she's in one of the other kingdoms."

"Which one?"

"Mistral," He paused, "I think. Somewhere near one of those areas - but I can't be too sure."

Yang blinked, most likely out of surprise. "Right," She looked at him with suspicion, "-And how do you know this?"

Jaune paused, before speaking. "None of your business."

Yang glared at him, "You're hiding things from me, aren't you?"

Jaune shrugged, "Maybe-!"

In an instant, Yang grabbed Jaune's shoulder. "Listen pal," She grit her teeth, "Shut the hell up - and tell me."

With a glare, he responded. "And if I don't?"

Yang chuckled, before looking at him with a small smirk. "I'll break you into two; if that is what it takes."

A few seconds later, Junior was already gathering the mooks who were guarding the place, and they were surrounded by guns. With a small frown, Junior spoke with a rough voice. "My apologies, Blondie, but I suggest you leave. We don't welcome hostiles into our bar," Junior frowned, making Yang glare at him.

"Not until he answers my question."

Jaune, again, swayed. "I am not..." For a moment, he almost fell asleep on the bar, "-answering your question."

Then, Jaune was punched. He didn't see it coming. He felt so much pain in his chest, and it became worse when he hurtled through one of the glass spires. He heard the glass smash, and it collapsed into sharp shards. Some of the shards cut him, making him bit his lip to stop himself from saying anything. As soon as that happened, civilians screamed, rapidly leaving the building. He could hear the rumbling of the stage, and he clamped his teeth down because of how _painful_ the cuts were.

Junior looked at Yang, before his men began to run towards her, brandishing weapons. After hearing a series of clacking heels, Militas seemed to hold him up, whilst Melanie was walking towards Yang. Jaune sighed. "Thanks for that," He rubbed his eyes. Holy hell, did he feel like absolute _shit._ Militas nodded, and sighed. "Honestly. Who is that girl?" Jaune looked at her, before trying to get some of the glass out of his clothes. "I don't know. She just showed up, asked something, thought I knew something about it and then she just did that. What a violent girl." Jaune slurred, with an eye-roll.

 ** _[HP: 1200/2000]_**

 _'For fuck's sake... Gamer's Mind.'_

Jaune grabbed the door rails, and pushed them open. "Thank you. At least, there's one person who isn't crazy in this bar." Militas spun her face around to avoid looking at him, rushing towards Yang at the sight of downed men. Junior was reaching for a rocket launcher as well, and he could hear violent sounds of banging and clanging. A few seconds later, the door shut with a loud bang.

* * *

（╯ ͡° ل͜ ͡°）╯︵ ┻━┻

* * *

Jaune was panting his head off; trying to stave off how faint he felt. He was walking carefully - trying not to fall onto his feet. Eventually, he felt himself trip - only to be grabbed by someone: _'Shit! I'll need to-!"_ Jaune's line of thought stopped when his face began to become slightly pale; his arm moving from where his pistol was - blame his father - to his mouth. Jaune needed to breath; he felt nauseous.

As soon as he shut the door, Jaune sighed. "Jesus, remind me never to-" He was trying not to fall, and his legs looked dead. Here's a question: does anyone know how it feels to have glass cutting your skin? It hurts. It REALLY hurts; and Jaune was about to maul the next person who'd annoy him-

"Hello, mister! Have you seen my sister? She's blonde, purple eyes, a bit... over the top?" Ruby began to count the factors about Yang with her fingers - and while Ruby is the most adorable person on the show - Jaune was barely stopping himself from throwing her into a wall. The worst part about it? Ruby was as... _enthusiastic_ as she was on the original series, which made him want to slam his head into the next wall to forget the embarrassing moment with Yang.

Ruby paused, looking at him with concern. "Are you alright? You smell rather... weird. A bit like Uncle Qrow, actually." Jaune sighed; shaking his head. "No. Some crazy girl just tore the entire bar apart - and the staff are trying to stop her." Ruby pat his shoulder, and gave an infuriating smile. "Don't worry! Ruby Rose will save the day!" She grinned - and Ruby was going to run into the building. However, she stopped.

"Wait, what's your name?" Jaune rolled his eyes. _'Really? Your sister is tearing down an entire building and you're only concerned about my name?'_

"Jaune Arc." Jaune nodded at Ruby, who gleamed. "My name's Ruby Rose! Sorry about the short meeting, but..." Her voice trailed off, and she looked towards Junior's Club. Jaune shrugged. "It's fine, Ruby. Have a good day."

Ruby smiled. "You too, Jaune."

Jaune smiled back, but frowned when Ruby entered the club. At that moment, Jaune ran for his life, hoping that they wouldn't catch up to him.

He was praying that they didn't.

* * *

（╯ ͡° ل͜ ͡°）╯︵ ┻━┻

* * *

 _ **[Skill: Parkour Mastery LVL Increased!]**_

 _ **[LVL: 5]**_

 _ **(20% Increased Speed When Moving Through Areas)**_

 _ **[NOTE: "Benny Hill Theme" has been added! Turn to page 394 in the Video Game Guide to see the music guide!]**_

Jaune was running for his life. Forget the fact that he should be unconscious from drinking, he was fleeing like as if someone was chasing him with a car. No, he was running as if someone fired automatic aiming missiles at him! It wouldn't be entirely inaccurate because of Ruby, of all people!

 _'Oh my god, I feel sick. I feel faint - and Gamer's Mind is just pure agony. For fuck's sake, why? How-?'_

"-How did I fuck it all up with that one line? Yang wasn't supposed to have a lead! Now, she thinks that I'm suspicious! _SHIT!"_ Jaune was practically screaming in fright; Jaune paled when he thought he heard the sounds of gunfire behind him.

"GET BACK HERE, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!"

"Yang! Don't swear!"

No, he was probably as white as chalk at this point; Jaune was terrified for his own life. He didn't care if Cinder appeared out of nowhere, or if Roman Torchwick designed to throw him off a cliff for giggles, Yang would maul him to death if she grabbed him. Yang would throw him off a cliff for giggles, pick him up, and then throw him off the cliff with a wide grin. It would only take a few minutes before the sisters caught up to him and he didn't want to know what'd happen if he was caught!

 ** _[QUEST - "Run, Bitch, Run!"]_**

 ** _[Flee From Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose!]_**

 ** _[SUCCESS/REWARD(S): 1500 EXP (3x Bonus via Title)_** ** _/Blacksmith Book]_**

 ** _[FAILURE:_** ** _Interrogation by the sisters; potential injury and death._** ** _Qrow will investigate...]_**

 _'ACCEPT!'_

He could hear the footsteps behind him now - knowing that they were following him: "What should I do?" Jaune pondered - what should he do? He noticed that there were a few more rooftops to go before there was nowhere to run: "How the hell am I going to figure this out?"

 _ **[Skill Invented: Aura Adrenaline-!]**_

 _'There is a word in the dictionary known as 'timing', Game. I'M RUNNING FROM A TEENAGER WITH A TEMPER AND A FIFTEEN-YEAR-OLD WITH A SCYTHE!'_

The boy instantly grabbed Crocea Mors - hurling the shield over a long trail of wires - slinging from building to building. Yang jumped over the building; shooting shotgun rounds from her gauntlets to get over - hurling Ruby over her shoulder. "Get back here, blondie! I need to talk!" Jaune turned around, shaking his head. He gave the duo a casual wave; turning to climb up the wire.

It wasn't until he heard the sound of wires getting cut - did he stop grinning. If anything, he looked back at them. Yang's hair was glowing; her eyes were red, and Ruby was about to cut the wires with her scythe. Yang nodded at Ruby, who aimed at the wires with her scythe. Instantly, Jaune was climbing up the wires, barely grabbing the edge of the brick wall. A second later, the trail of wires fell to the ground.

 _'Well, that happened.'_

Jaune was becoming quicker; and he was sprinting when Yang shouted. "What do you know about her! My mother? How do you know her?!" Jaune snapped his head backwards - noting that the two sisters were getting closer. He was aware that there was only three more rooftops to go; Jaune was going to grab the revolver that his father had given him last month. He lurched for the gun, and reloaded.

Jaune fired at anything that could be used - oil spills - anything. He noticed that they were becoming slightly sluggish; but they weren't giving up. Jaune looked at the final rooftop, he ran towards the walls, only to look down at the streets below. He noticed that people were filming the scene; he stopped sprinting. The boy coughed at the smell of smoke from behind him - the air was dirty because of the smoke emitting from the fire-hot gauntlets.

Yang and Ruby seemed to have caught up with him.

They stared at each other in silence - Jaune's face of exhaustion - combined with the sisters' looks of anger and trepidation made a tense scene. He stood at the edge of the building; Yang slowly stepped forward - and her slow steps made him move a back a bit. What could he do? He couldn't fight them: Ruby was too fast; Yang was too strong; and he didn't have any environmental advantage. He was fucked, completely fucked, and there was only one solution.

It was going down to the ground.

A cacophony of silence echoed through the night; giving off a tender tension.

The boy calmed down, giving a quiet sigh. "Raven Branwen..." Jaune looked at Yang, who listened to every word with a guarded expression. "That woman is best off left alone. She is a leader of a group in one of the other continents; I don't know anything else. Your only lead would be her brother, Qrow Branwen, but I doubt he'd tell you anything." Jaune stood there - feeling cool from the freezing breeze that lurked in the night.

 _'Come on, focus on the info. Give me time to think of an escape plan...'_

Jaune stood on the dirty floor, allowing him to recover his poise and speak, "Honestly," Jaune shook his head, "I don't know why you dragged your sister out here with you, but that was some reckless behaviour." Yang looked away - and Ruby was beginning to become even more uncomfortable. Then, Jaune turned towards the view behind him, looking at the shops below. He sighed, "Don't be so reckless next time, okay? You never know what'd happen in a place like Vale."

 _'Am I seriously going to do that? With Crocea Mors? Fuck my life; seriously.'_

"See you guys later."

With Crocea Mors in his arms, Jaune jumped off the building. Both sisters were in shock; looking down below at the descending man. He may have looked casual - but Jaune couldn't have been more terrified right now. He was descending down a massive building, and he knew people were going to think that he had no chance in surviving the drop. So, how was he going to pull this off? _'With a sword, obviously. I already have a plan.'_

He could feel the air blasting his face; he could hear the gasps of the people below. Many people were taking out their scrolls to call for an ambulance, and they seemed to be panicking. They didn't expect Jaune to draw out his sword; jab it into the material of the wall and watch as the sword screeched down the building. Somehow, impossibly so, Jaune managed to hold on - and he held his breath as he watched the sword give off sparks. Some sparks flew into his face - but he couldn't release his grip. If he did, he'd be falling to his death.

A few moments later, Jaune descended down to a roof, and ran.

Meanwhile, Yang and Ruby stood, watching the scene below. They watched as Jaune ran across roofs; they watched as he began to hide within the shops below, and they couldn't help but stand there and watch. It was a strange scene for the two of them: watching as a man descended down a building; then using his own shield to slide across the roof of the building he lands on; and then he just hides in one of the shops in a minute.

"Well, that happened."

Yang paused. She was thinking about the boy who had just fallen down a skyscraper, and succeeded to live, from that experience of all things. Yang stood there silently, and Ruby put an arm on her shoulder. "We'll find out what happened to your mother, Yang."

Yang sighed, "I know; I'm just confused." Yang looked at Ruby with a thoughtful expression, "How does he know _her?_ "

 ** _[Quest Completed!]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 1500 X 3 = 4500 EXP. Blacksmith Book/Blacksmith Skill Unlocked!]_**

-X-

 ** _Blacksmith (Passive Skill), {Unlocked}, [LVL: 1 - 0.00%]_**

 _Description: **A**_ ** _skill scaling your capabilities as a blacksmith; as the level increases - the quality of your crafts increase. The quality and the level values are proportional._**

 ** _-_** X-

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 _ **Name: Jaune Arc**_

 _ **Level: 20**_

 _ **Title: (The Gamer)**_

 _ **HP: 2000/2000**_

 _ **MP: 2000/2000**_

 _ **SP: 0/0 (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?)**_

 _ **EXP: 4500/5,760**_

 _ **GAMER'S MIND: "Allows the individual to remain calm, collected and rational in the majority of circumstances. If broken, the berserk status is initiated on the person. (Berserk: - 70% of INT, WIS, -90% CHA, +20% PER, + 30% STR, +20% AG.)**_

 _ **GAMER'S BODY: "Allows the individual to interact with reality through that of a video game, abilities range from: increasing stats of a specific attribute to improve; developing skills at a quicker pace; quests; inventory; etc."**_

 _ **OVERDRIVE (Semblance): The ability to conduct electricity.**_

 _ **DORMANT ATTRIBUTES:**_

 _ **None.**_

 _ **STATS:**_

 _ **Strength: 28 [31]**_

 _ **Dexterity: 30 [32]**_

 _ **Vitality: 30 [32]**_

 _ **Intelligence: 27 [31]**_

 _ **Wisdom: 25 [29]**_

 _ **Perception: 26 [28]**_

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 _ **Stat Points: 0**_

 _ **NOTE: The first value of a stat is the BASE STAT. The second value of a stat is known as the FINAL STAT.**_

 _ **BASE STAT: The value of a stat without any influence of bonuses.**_

 _ **FINAL STAT: The value of a stat after the influence of bonuses.**_

 _ **Location: Vale/Junior's Bar/Exit**_

 _ **PRIMARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(P):**_

 _ **CROCEA MORS:** **The legendary blade that finished wars - destroyed lives - and saved them. This gives twice as much damage to a Grimm, with a normal damage output for humans. This is your starter weapon; though I'd advise you to keep using it until people expect you to fight with it all the time.**_

 _ **SECONDARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(S):**_

 _ **None.**_


	4. 04 - Pyrophobia

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

 _The scream tore out of his throat, raspy and broken._

 _The lights turned on and arms were around him._

 _He couldn't stop feeling it, though._

 _He couldn't stop feeling guilty over what happened._

 _Blonde hair covered his vision, and he got the sense of people trying to comfort him._

 _Jaune couldn't stop feeling it, though._

 _Jaune knew that what he had done was unforgivable._

. . .

. .

.

 _Frustration and exasperation were the two things that he felt._

 _He also felt relief and excitement._

If it weren't for the mask on his face; everyone would've noticed the sheer frustration that he possessed.

Jaune sighed; gazing at another failed model. Average armour and mediocre rapiers were laid onto the floor. It was an absolute struggle - to build an entire set of armour and his secondary weapon at once; especially up to a perfect standard. Sure, he'd gained EXP because of it:

-X-

 ** _Blacksmith (Passive Skill), Level: 23 - 37%._**

 ** _A skill scaling your capabilities as a blacksmith; as the level increases - the quality of your crafts increase. The quality and the level values are proportional._**

 ** _-_** X-

But that was because of his obsession - his obsession with making these weapons. He was a perfectionist; he wanted it to be of an amazing quality. _He needed it to be of an exceptional quality - and that was making him struggle._

It was a relief to see that he'd finally developed a workable set of armour and a decent rapier. They weren't going to be the official Beacon Academy set that he was planning for, but they'd do.

-E-

-E1-

 ** _Rose's Thorn:_**

 ** _Class: High C_**

 ** _Information: A decent rapier; assembled by Jaune Arc. It is a worthy weapon for an inexperienced blacksmith; definitely viable in Beacon Academy. However, this'd be a mere starter weapon for a student who had rushed the weapon assembling process in Signal Academy. It is not compatible with electricity; can only use dust for elemental attacks. Can be folded into various sizes; mentally willing it forces the Game to return the weapon to its normal state._**

-E2-

 ** _Stat Boosts: +4 DEX, +3 STR._**

 ** _Rose's Crown:_**

 ** _Class: High C_**

 ** _Information: A decent set of armour; assembled by Jaune Arc. It packs decent defence that is impressive for an inexperienced blacksmith; viable in Beacon Academy. Again - it would be a mere starter weapon - not something that the best students would possess. It is incompatible with electricity; can only use dust for elemental attacks. Can be folded into various sizes; mentally willing it forces the Game to return the weapon to its normal state._**

 ** _+3 STR, +2 DEX, +2 VIT._**

-E-

Every time Jaune tested the weapons and the armour - they wouldn't work with his semblance. The electricity was interfering with the system; he considered stabilising the magnetic fields by increasing the strength of the electromagnets in the pathways - but it wasn't working. The electricity seemed to have an energy input/output balance that was _off the charts._

It kept fluctuating - changing and revolutionising itself as it was exposed to new environments. It wasn't surprising; he was experimenting with his own aura - that was the representation of his own soul. People would find that it was rather ambitious - but he was obsessed with knowing how things worked. He wasn't considered a prodigy because of his intelligence; he was considered a prodigy because of his hard work.

That hard work pulled in results - it changed him from a weak person to someone who everyone could consider to be reliable. It was melancholic how people only sought out others for their skills; not their personalities - but they were living during a war. What could have they done at the time?

As for the soul - it was an intriguing study.

It seemed to have an intelligence of its own; which was an exaggerating gesture - but what did he know? He may have been a scientist; that was in the past - not the present. He smiled at the collection of prototypes at the back of the room; lined in a series structure - the recent ones looking cleaner and less clunky.

They were failed prototypes; but they were beautiful.

But he'd admit; his workable equipment looked amazing. It was solid for an inexperienced blacksmith.

One man's waste is another man's treasure; he supposed. He could sell them - but that'd be illegal considering they were based off of Atlas technology. As for asking where the technology came from; you'd be surprised what people put in the bin: _'Old Atlas models for weapons, though?_

But who cares - what was Yang and Ruby going to do about it - alert Qrow? He wouldn't be surprised if they'd done that; it was a shock that Qrow hadn't found him, yet. He wasn't going to help people because of kindness; it was out of his selfish idea that by making the world better - he'd redeem himself of his cowardice. It made sense - but it had been irrational at the time.

Though; he did wake up after dying.

A shame that the failed ones were to rot, until he had enough experience to tinker with them into something else _: 'Ooh, I know!'_ Jaune looked at the old models in excitement: _'I can make Gauss Guns - alternate versions of flamethrowers - wait, that's it! How about an elemental mini-gun/flamethrower combination?'_

Perhaps, it'd be another project.

However - this machine was essential for his endeavours - mainly to deal with that of Cinder, Neo and Emerald. Rather, people who were as powerful as them. In a usual occurrence; people would have a massive train montage and raise their stats; then they'd be extremely powerful for the sake of the plot.

But - for him? That wasn't going to be enough; he'd train a lot. But that wasn't going to be the only thing to do; he wasn't going to need plot armour for anything in this world: _'Though, I hope I won't be defined as a Gamer - I'd prefer being a person.'_

To be honest, Pyrrha became more human to him at that moment. People tend to see others for what they show; not how they feel.

 _'I'll admit it, now.'_ Jaune brushed his hands against his hips; sighing as he did so: _'Ruby Rose will acknowledge that I'm a weapons fanatic - which says something - she speaks to Crescent Rose. Her weapon, for lord's sake.'_ He was quite stressed considering the ordeal; having to deal with the mess that was the Yellow Episode Incident as he called it.

 ** _The stats: INT and WIS, have increased by one! This is because of sheer creativity-_**

Combined with the Game's wit and sarcasm; which he simultaneously adored and loathed; it was difficult to not break down because of the stress. At first - the reality of Gamer's Mind never truly entered his concrete skull; being too thick-headed for him to realise the existence of a particular stat.

-X-

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/100 (If Gamer's Mind Influence Reaches 100 - Locked Out Of Game - Person Will Die)**_

-X-

When Jaune had realised the stat had raised by one; it was theorised that Jaune's _emotions_ were causing the Gamer's Mind Influence to increase. He noticed that it was designed to annihilate players who relied on Gamer's Mind; which was why he accessed the settings and discovered something:

 ** _Settings:_**

 ** _GAMER'S BODY: ON (FIXED)_**

 ** _GAMER'S MIND: OFF_**

After testing that mechanic; it was relieving to see that the stat decreased: _'I can't even trust the AI commanding the Game because of it - the infernal machine was already a pain with its personality as it is.'_ Jaune scowled; shaking his head.

 ** _Oh, I assure you, Player. I don't have the emotional outlet of a brick or a lack of social understanding compared to Ruby Rose._**

 ** _Being cooped up between data; pieces of wire; metallic structures and exasperating players is excellent for your health._**

 ** _AI tested, human approved!_**

As for the idealism of the future duo team powerhouse known as 'Team RWBY and Team JNPR' - he wasn't sure how he was going to interact with that platform. It could be possible to pretend to be someone else; a criminal who did the wrong things for the right reasons? That way, he could do the immoral things without having everyone breathe over Jaune Arc's back.

Eventually, he looked around, before grabbing his newest crafts.

His morals weren't exactly as simple: _'I suppose that Ozpin and I have similarities; except I prefer to not interact with the audience at all.'_ Jaune knew that Ozpin would eventually find out; that he'd figure out that the transcripts were going to be fake. Not even Roman Torchwick could trick him; but he'd do with what he had.

There wasn't a transcript judging show.

A few minutes later, a series of steps and clacking were heard.

-P-

 ** _Roman Torchwick:_**

 ** _Gender: Male_**

 ** _Title: 'The Kingpin'_**

 ** _LVL: ?_**

 ** _Stats: ?_**

 ** _Semblance: ?_**

-P-

"Seriously, kid? I was surprised that you'd ask me for lien of all things. Yet, you wear a mask, how trusting. I don't know who you are - but alas - you have dust." Roman Torchwick, the King Pin himself, walked towards him - giving a bright grin and a sarcastic twirl of his fedora: "What's with the messy pieces? They look like old Atlas junk."

Jaune shook his head: "Junk? It's art - fantastic art! Why do you think that it's junk?" Roman Torchwick laughed; raising a palm to his hand as he did so. "Alright, fair enough. I'm a bizarre person; don't murder me with an old man's cane." Roman guffawed and Jaune's face became red: "How adorable; a kid thinks that weapons are beauties?"

Roman was holding his knees - trying to recover. He looked at Jaune with a grin: "The tools that we use to murder people; torture them and for some kinky people, sodomise partners in bed - they're adorable to a kid who I don't know!" Roman sarcastically gasped: "You, kid, are the greatest piece of bullshit that I've ever looked at in my life."

Roman grabbed a cigar; lit it with a lighter before smoking: "But, whatever makes you sleep at night, even if you get sodomised by a kinky partner-" Jaune palmed his face, making Roman's face go red from trying to stop himself from laughing - coughing some of the smoke out: "Alright, kid. We've sorted things out; I have the generous money - you have the transcripts."

"So, I guess we'll just leave?" Jaune shrugged; before shuffling the pieces of tech into a corner. He opened a storage chamber; placing the failed prototype in there before leaving to shut the chamber: "Well, regardless of everything, thanks." Roman nodded at this; before smirking: "But, I expect that you think I'd need a favour?"

The Arc held his newest creations within his arms; before looking at Roman.

Jaune nodded.

"Well - I need a delivery boy. Nothing too hard; simply lifting boxes of supplies. However, the people who've been working always quit because of how boring it is. Then, they get introduced into the combat scenery and it never ends up well for them." Roman frowned for a few moments; the frown being replaced by a small smirk: "I need you to be the new delivery boy; nothing too hard."

"I suppose I'll be allowed to wear a mask?"

"It's common sense." Roman proceeded to frown again; before changing into a scowl: "Listen to me - if you take this job - you must be impeccable. The client that you'll be responsible for? She does not like mistakes; she wants everything under her control. Don't fuck about. I'm telling you this because even though I don't give a shit about you; you're a funny guy and I think you don't deserve to be buried six feet under."

Instantly, Jaune signalled to turn Gamer's Mind on.

Jaune was making notes when he heard the sounds of doors opening near them.

There was nothing that was so terrifying for him; other than to deliver dust. In any ordinary situation - people would've laughed at him, guffawed at him before being told that he was a weak individual in question. However, the Arc had reasons for it; he truly didn't expect for this situation to occur so soon.

He noticed that there were individuals like Emerald, Mercury and Neo. Their LVL were ridiculously high.

Cinder Fall outclassed all of them.

He didn't need levels to figure that out.

-P-

 ** _Roman Torchwick's LVL: ?_**

 ** _Mercury Black's LVL: ?_**

 ** _Emerald Sustrai's LVL: ?_**

 ** _Neopolitan's LVL: ?_**

 ** _Cinder Fall's LVL: ?_**

-P-

They were so high-levelled that he couldn't check them for anything. Roman Torchwick probably was the weakest member; yet it was impossible to observe him for any details. He couldn't observe Young - who wasn't as strong as Roman. Regardless of how high-levelled the skill was; if his LVL was too low - the Player wouldn't be able to analyse them.

The Player gazed around the room - it wasn't flattering. To his surprise; the room seemed quite ordinary. It didn't have a throne-room appeal to it like he imagined Cinder to possess; considering she was a power-hungry control-freak: _'However, it's possible that the show's view itself was biased. We're not in Beacon yet and 'Jaune Arc' is working under Cinder fucking Fall and is being tracked down by Yang and Ruby, possible Qrow as well.'_

"Who's the new individual, Roman?" A lustrous voice echoed within the building; Jaune was silently panicking within his mask - attempting to formulate plans: _'How can we sort this out? Cinder's a control freak - a power-hungry individual. However, she's the kind of person who doesn't want to be bored by others, lest they die because of it."_

Cinder turned to him; raising an eyebrow at Roman's new addition to the situation: _'Though, Cinder is a curious one. I wonder how she ticks; how she will act - what policies does she prefer? What are the boundaries of Cinder's morals?"_ Cinder's right eye began to glow; slowly bursting into a small fire: "Well? Do not test my patience."

Apparently, she doesn't like being played with.

Though his name would be a mundane animal; a rat. There were many people in his position; so the name would be known as 'Rat.'

The man shrugged: "The only name that I've ever been called was Rat." Cinder raised an eyebrow; crossing her arms as she did so - she stood up before him, looking into his eyes - before pausing: "You may leave."

'Rat' nodded; before walking outside - leaving the building. He proceeded to breathe in and out; in an attempt to calm himself down. Eventually, 'Rat' walked towards a series of buildings that looked like waves cascading across the cities; showering the citizens with a vivacious view: "I suppose - that gives me a break from surviving an encounter with all of them."

Then, above a rooftop, did he wait for Roman Torchwick to rob Dust Till'Dawn.

* * *

 _Location:_

 _Vale_

 _Rooftops_

 _Shopping Centre_

 _Jaune Arc/The Player's POV_

Jaune Arc gazed at the moon shining over the skies; the buildings underneath him stood with pride; the people walked within their streets. The Arc stood on top of a building near a cafe that was playing music. There was no mask on his face; no cloak; nothing. The inventory hid everything that was Rat. Well, he was equipped with Rose's Crown and Rose's Thorns.

 _'For times like this; I always sat in a secluded spot. I never imagined that I'd be sitting on the rooftops - looking at the vivacious clouds, the smiling people, the criminals making deals beneath this city.'_ Jaune was in deep thought; attempting to rationalise everything - but there was a doubt. A profound uncertainty had appeared since his first talk with his new family. He just didn't know what to do - or think - over the whole thing.

 _'But, there's something missing. I'm happy - but I'm still missing my old home.'_

 _'Sometimes, I just want to go back home and apologise to my family - I could forget Gamer's Mind and RWBY. But, I can't. I'm stuck here; grateful for everything that I have - yet there's something missing.'_

 _'To be honest, my family's long dead. I don't have a picture of them in any photographs; all evidence of my existence back on Earth is gone.'_

 _'I don't know what to do.'_

-Q-

 _ **QUEST UNLOCKED: 'The Power Of Peace'**_

 ** _Description: Roman Torchwick, considered as one of Cinder's weakest tools, is far stronger than you. Yang - an upcoming Beacon student - is stronger than you. Ruby Rose is stronger than you. All of them have plagues that bother them; but they're stronger because they faced them. But, within your heart, you realise that Gamer's Mind can't erase the plagues that bother you - this weakness of mind, spirit and strength must be faced._**

 ** _So, I give you a choice._**

 ** _Objective A : Make peace with your past and move on._**

 ** _Bonus Objective: Practise drawing - increase it to around LVL 30/40. Draw a picture of them to make sure that you never forget them._**

 ** _REWARDS(S): None. No reward can replace a family._**

 ** _Succeed: The Art Of Balance (Stage I) is unlocked._**

 ** _Failure: Your past plagues you for the rest of your life; unless you attempt this quest again and succeed._**

-Q-

Jaune gazed at the screen in silence; feeling the air softly brushing his hair.

He was in deep thought; before gazing at the area around him - gripping Rose's Thorn. Jaune grit his teeth; the quest exacerbating his anger: _'Why? Is this a joke - why do you think that simply drawing pictures of them would give me peace?'_ The Arc stood; before a weary look appeared on his face. He was still breathing in and out from deactivating Gamer's Mind.

Jaune felt fear and anger; an extraordinary amount of it.

All of it stemmed from this:

-X-

 ** _Bloodlust/Harmful Presence Detector: LVL 30_**

 ** _Skill Description: Detect bloodlust and harmful intent from 15 metres away._**

 ** _Latest LVL Increase Source/s: Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai and Emerald Black._**

-X-

 _Stats:_

 _Strength: 28 [37]_

 _Dexterity: 30 [38]_

 _Vitality: 30 [34]_

 _Intelligence: 27 [32]_

 _Wisdom: 25 [30]_

 _Perception: 26 [28]_

 _Weapons: Rose's Thorns / Rose's Crown_

 _Rose's Thorns: + 3 STR/4 DEX._

 _Rose's Crown: + 3 STR/2 DEX/2 VIT._

 _Gamer's Mind Influence: 1/100 (If Gamer's Mind Influence reaches 100, you are permanently locked out of the game. You will be erased from existence. The stat will increase by one point when used for twenty minutes. It will take two hours to remove one point.)_

 _Stat Points: 0_

-X-

 _'It was frightening; there's nothing else to describe the event. Staring at all of them; even under my mask - scared me. My body's shaking in fear; at the mere sight of them - the mere sight of a group of people who were terrorists!'_ Jaune breathed in and out; trying to calm down: _'I don't think I can calm down, though. It was that eye; it burst into flames - her voice turned from lustrous to something horrible.'_

 _'It was indescribable.'_ It took everything to keep his exterior; to keep himself from showing a hint of fear. He was certain that if there was a meagre display of that fear then he would've been immolated by her, without any doubt: _'Then, there was those levels. This was pre-season 1 Cinder; not Maiden Season 3 Cinder, the one who murdered Ozpin and Pyrrha.'_

He wasn't a hero - he'd never be one. Jaune was here for his own selfish reasons; he was fortunate that it was possible to edit the transcripts to be under his identity. The only issue regarding that? It was going to be impossible to act as the original Jaune Arc; one moment of weakness - one moment of failure against any opponent other than Team RWBY or JNPR? The vultures would find him.

They'd flay him alive.

His friends, his family and all who he had cared about/for - they wouldn't want him to waste away thinking of the past. He owed them that much respect, at least. However, there was the three questions that kept bothering him - repeating in his head. People like Cinder, Roman and Neo - or Emerald and Mercury - they would do anything to live.

They wouldn't care if they had to kill him.

 _'I don't know if I can face my past; but I'm going to try. I won't let them, or Ozpin, blind Team RWBY or Team JNPR. Cinder won't kill them.'_

 _'No more of this shit - I won't let them destroy my family, my peers or anyone in Vale.'_

 _'I won't let anyone take away who I am; no matter what.'_

A sigh escaped his lips.

 _'Besides - what right do I have to be upset at you? You're a machine.'_

 ** _"Just because we're machines doesn't mean that we have less value than you do, Player."_**

 _'How do you know that? You were made - you were made with information; systems and inputs/outputs.'_

 _ **"Isn't that the same with you? The only difference is that you were made with DNA - genetic information - organ systems and inputs/outputs being derived from organic compounds."**_

 _'I suppose - but do you feel? Do you have feelings - do you know how it's like to feel?'_

 ** _"I'd say that I have a rudimentary experience with it."_**

Silence soothed across the building; leaving nothing but music playing across the streets. Jaune dropped his mask and cloak; simply putting it in the back that he kept with him.

 ** _[QUEST: 'The Power Of Peace']_**

 ** _[ACCEPTED.]_**

Jaune noticed a series of men following Roman Torchwick - which he hadn't paid any mind: _'None of my business; there's no reason for me to save people.'_

A loud shout entered the street; making Jaune's eyes widen.

 _"Are you robbing me?"_

 _[Skill: Aura Adrenaline!]_

* * *

 _Location:_

 _Vale_

 _From Dust Til' Dawn_

 _Shopping Centre_

 _Jaune Arc/The Player's POV_

 _ **QUEST: "From Rob Til Dawn"**_

 _ **Information: Make sure that Ruby Rose survives the robbery.**_

 _ **QUERY: "I can't show you more information right now. Just deal with Torchwick's men and make sure that she lives - I'll make a reward for you in time!"**_

Jaune dashed across the rooftops; equipping Crocea Mors as he did so. He leaped downwards - flipping the shield upside down before the shield slid through the street. The turbulent air was brushing against his face; wiping his hair as it did so - he grabbed one of the bins to fling him into the man that was just thrown through a smashed window.

That man went head-first into the bin.

"Wow, he was a complete waste of potential." Ruby groaned, before transforming Crescent Moon into a scythe: "Seriously? I thought Yang was the only person who made puns as bad as those!" Jaune laughed at the man - Ruby gave a small frown, grabbing his ear: "Listen, mister! After this; we're going to talk about Yang and how you know her mother, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." Jaune stated with unsubtle sarcasm - Ruby didn't notice. "I will follow your orders to the letter."

Roman Torchwick gave a scowl at the pair of them - before tilting his head: "Deal with the kids; I don't need to deal with little shits who are up past their bed time." The men in black suits nodded; running out of the shop - unsheathing their swords as they did so.

Jaune titled his rapier; dashing towards the first man in kind. He ducked underneath the blade - before slamming the hilt into the man's face - Jaune slashed at the man's chest, before kicking him in the face. The man flipped over Ruby - who spun as she fired rounds at the other men. A man was sent flying towards one of the lamp posts; only to remain unconscious.

Ruby swerved to the right - then to the left; jumping over various objects as she danced with her scythe. She stabbed the blade into the concrete below her; before spinning around to flip one man into the air and slam him down into the ground - _there was a crunch as the man's head hit the concrete._ Jaune dashed at the man who was about to open fire on Ruby; spinning around him only to kick the man in the face - hurl him over and do a special move.

 _Mini-Quiz from the Player:_

 _Question: What move does the player execute in order to deal with the man?_

 _(1) Dropkick him into the face - only for the grunt to be swung into the air by Ruby and slammed into a lamp post._

 _(2) Somersault over him as he is hurled before slamming his body onto the ground._

 _(3) Impale the man through the pelvis with his rapier._

 _(4) It was all of them - because the player is sadistic._

 _The correct answer was:_

Jaune Arc proceeded to dropkick the man in the face. The man was thrown through the street towards Ruby's scythe. Ruby twirled; flipping her scythe before firing behind her to establish a greater velocity. Ruby flipped into the air - scraping Crescent Rose into the ground as she threw the man into the air and knocked him with Crescent Rose.

That man was sent into a lamp post; right into a bin.

Roman proceeded to fire a shot from Melodic Cudgel; before disappearing out of nowhere. Ruby's face developed a frown - with Jaune shaking his head. They looked around the place. "Jaune, he's over there!" Jaune nodded - before running towards the ladder that Roman was climbing: "Take care of the shopkeeper - make sure that none of the men are awake."

Jaune quickly climbed the ladder; before walking towards Roman - the fractured moon shining above them. A series of petals appeared around them; a moment later - it showed Ruby Rose appearing behind Jaune: "Hey!"

Roman stopped for a few moments; before a Bullhead appeared over the roof - the lights were blindingly bright. Roman Torchwick climbed onto the hangar inside of the Bullhead - before speaking: "End of the line, Red - and you too - Yellow." A red crystal was thrown out of the Bullhead - Roman was already aiming to fire at the crystal - before Jaune threw it back at the Bullhead.

The crystal exploded in front of the Bullhead; which was already beginning to fly away from the blast. Roman laughed; before frowning at the woman in front of them.

 _'Shit! That's Glynda Goodwitch; second-command to Ozpin himself! How do I keep getting involved with these people despite trying to avoid them?'_ Jaune proceeded to blink for a few moments; before palming his face: _'I ran to the source of Ruby's voice. I don't have an excuse for it.'_

Jaune proceed to stare at the driver; before his eyes widened.

That was Cinder Fall.

 _Cinder Fall._

Glynda took the opportunity to blast spells at the Bullhead, Cinder walked out onto the hangar to unleash fire against Glynda. Storms were hurling; ice spikes were unleashed at the Bullhead - which Roman Torchwick was driving. Glynda was rather surprised by the look on Jaune's face; it looked as if Jaune knew who Cinder was.

Cinder had a subtle expression of curiosity at his reaction.

Wait, was that exhilaration as well?

 _[Gamer's Mind: Activated!]_

"Hold on, mister." Ruby raised a finger at Jaune; who was already trying to think up plans to flee: "First, you know who my sister's mother is. Second, you know what she looks like - implying that you've met her." Ruby took a moment of silence for emphasis: "Then, you know that this was going to happen and you know both of the people in the Bullhead?"

"Not now, Ruby!"

Blasts of fire and aura were being sent across the rooftops; Ruby and Jaune kept dodging all of the blasts: "We don't have time to talk about that; I have to get out of here!" Jaune gazed at Ruby; who was looking confused. Then, she became suspicious. "Wait a moment, why do I have to stay? What about you, mister? Trying to dodge the questions, are we?"

"Watch out!" Jaune tackled Ruby onto the ground; dodging the fire blasts that were unleashed a second later. The hangar on the Bullhead was closing; Jaune proceeded to run off the rooftops - constantly dismissing the QUEST SUCCESS inputs - he looked at the Bullhead behind him that was flying away.

 _[Skill/Aura Adrenaline: Activated!]_

Jaune flipped over scores of rooftops; before jumping down a series of ladders - he dashed through the streets - past Junior's club. A gaze at Tukson's bookshop revealed a safe passage back to his house; he'd only have to walk through the building.

Fortunately, it was still open.

Jaune walked through the entrance - closing the door behind him.

 _[Skill/Aura Adrenaline: Deactivated!]_

 _[Skill/Gamer's Mind: Deactivated!]_

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 _ **Name: Jaune Arc**_

 _ **Level: 20**_

 _ **Title: (The Gamer)**_

 _ **HP: 2000/2000**_

 _ **MP: 2000/2000**_

 _ **SP: 0/0 (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?)**_

 _ **EXP: 4500/5,760**_

 _ **GAMER'S MIND: "Allows the individual to remain calm, collected and rational in the majority of circumstances. If broken, the berserk status is initiated on the person. (Berserk: - 70% of INT, WIS, -90% CHA, +20% PER, + 30% STR, +20% AG.)**_

 _ **GAMER'S BODY: "Allows the individual to interact with reality through that of a video game, abilities range from: increasing stats of a specific attribute to improve; developing skills at a quicker pace; quests; inventory; etc."**_

 _ **OVERDRIVE (Semblance): The ability to conduct electricity.**_

 _ **DORMANT ATTRIBUTES:**_

 _ **None.**_

 _ **STATS:**_

 _ **Strength: 28 [31]**_

 _ **Dexterity: 30 [32]**_

 _ **Vitality: 30 [32]**_

 _ **Intelligence: 27 [31]**_

 _ **Wisdom: 25 [29]**_

 _ **Perception: 26 [28]**_

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 _ **Stat Points: 0**_

 _ **NOTE: The first value of a stat is the BASE STAT. The second value of a stat is known as the FINAL STAT.**_

 _ **BASE STAT: The value of a stat without any influence of bonuses.**_

 _ **FINAL STAT: The value of a stat after the influence of bonuses.**_

 _ **Location: Vale**_

 _ **PRIMARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(P):**_

 _ **CROCEA MORS:** **The legendary blade that finished wars - destroyed lives - and saved them. This gives twice as much damage to a Grimm, with a normal damage output for humans. This is your starter weapon; though I'd advise you to keep using it until people expect you to fight with it all the time.**_

 _ **SECONDARY WEAPON/ATTACHMENT(S):**_

 _ **None.**_


	5. 05 - Not Running Away Like Blake

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

 _"Check," Nicholas Arc said, smiling coyly. Jaune chuckled, rolling his eyes and shrugging in response. Nicholas guffawed, his long wrinkly fingers tapping the table almost as if he was tapping the table to a song._

 _Jaune looked back down at the board, cocking an eyebrow as he pondered to himself in thoughtful silence. It was rather amusing to see Nicholas best him so easily in chess. He had played chess quite a bit in his past life, lost a few times and won others, but he hadn't seen a player like Nicholas in a long time. So, of course, he was thrilled at the challenge._

 _When an idea came to him, he acted accordingly._

 _Several minutes of silence passed by before he could sigh. Nicholas moved his final piece and grinned at Jaune. "Checkmate."_

 _After the small shake of his head, Jaune put the pieces onto the board again. "Again?"_

 _Nicholas moved a pawn._

. . .

. .

.

 _Vale_

 _Shopping Centre_

 _Rooftops_

 _Jaune Arc's/The Player's POV_

Finally.

It took him a while to flee. He was impressed; who knew that such an adorable person could be so difficult to evade?

Of course, the adorable factor wasn't the reason why it took him so long to evade her. It genuinely wasn't.

Try escaping her whilst she's using her semblance, I dare you.

But he never felt so _good._ Who knew that it was so exciting to run through the city of Vale? Who knew how amazing it felt, to feel the air rushing against your body, to know the feeling of excitement when someone was so, _so close,_ to catching you? One mid-step, you fall off the rooftops and any civilian would be dead. Perhaps, it was the danger, the thrill, the amusement, but it was something.

What was it?

Either way, he wanted to do this more.

No, there was a _need_ for it.

He did have an expertise for running away from problems.

Jaune sighed. _'Better to run away from a problem until you can fix it, unless you can fix it sooner.'_

-X-

 **Aura Adrenaline/Body Accelerator: LVL 5**

 ** _Compounds the effects of adrenaline and aura - allowing stamina to be higher than 0 for an additional 11.5 minutes._**

 ** _Also uses aura to induce a greater velocity - though this drain only occurs when you're not using adrenaline._**

 _ **Latest LVL Increase Source/s: Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long.**_

-X-

 ** _Stats:_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 10/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 60/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 20/100_**

 ** _-Stats-_**

 ** _Jaune Arc:_**

 ** _Level: 20_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _HP: 2000/2000_**

 ** _MP: 2000/2000_**

 ** _SP: 0/0 (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?.)_**

 ** _EXP: 4500/5,760_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _Strength: 28 [37]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 30 [38]_**

 ** _Vitality: 30 [34]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 26 [28]_**

 ** _Weapons: Rose's Thorns / Rose's Crown_**

 ** _Rose's Thorns: + 3 STR/4 DEX._**

 ** _Rose's Crown: + 3 STR/2 DEX/2 VIT._**

 ** _Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/100 (If Gamer's Mind Influence reaches 100, you are permanently locked out of the game. You will be erased from existence. The stat will increase by one point when used for twenty minutes. It will take two hours to remove one point.)_**

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**

-X-

To his surprise, a patch had been inserted during the fight. However, what it stated was intriguing.

-G-

 _Biological Stats: "Hunger", "Dehydration", and "Stamina" have been implemented via Patch 1.01. To keep things interesting, it was decided that these stats would affect stats, unlike the real versions. You can't die from hunger, dehydration or lack of stamina. A cost is that your stats will suffer if you don't keep an eye on those stats._

 _NOTE: These stats will only suffer when stats "Hunger" and "Dehydration" exceed 60/100. If "Stamina" becomes 0/100, you can't run without using your aura._

 _Considering your setup; you could use the skill: [Aura Adrenaline] as a substitute._

 _Good luck._

 _NOTE OF A NOTE: -G- stands for "Guide."_

-G-

-Q-

 **QUEST:**

 **Defeat Ruby Rose!**

 **SUCCESS:**

 **EXP: 4000/?**

 **FAILURE:**

 **Interrogation by ? & Ruby.**

-Q-

 _'Shit!'_

Jaune swung forward, ducking underneath a red scythe. Jaune flipped over the scythe before slashing at Ruby Rose, who spun around and blocked his hits with her scythe. Jaune back-flipped, jumped to a wall before slamming his rapier into the wall, swinging himself upwards onto one of the chimneys. Jaune cocked an eyebrow.

"I didn't know you were that determined."

-P-

 ** _'The Silver Rose'_**

 ** _Name: Ruby Rose_**

 ** _LVL: 32_**

 ** _Stats: ?_**

 ** _Semblance: ?_**

 _ **Information: The daughter of Taiyang Xiao Long and Summer Rose, Taiyang's second wife. Ruby Rose is an excitable person; who has a fascination with cookies and weaponry. Her sister is Yang Xiao Long - who is known as a temperamental individual.**_

 ** _[Increase the LVL of your observe skill to ascertain more information.]_**

 ** _Closeness: 1/100._**

-P-

Ruby swung her scythe, turning it into a sniper rifle. There was an uncharacteristic serious expression on her face, turning into a look of determination afterwards. "Look, mister, my sister _really_ needs to know about her mother. Her mother is important to her, more than you think."

Jaune sighed, shaking his head. "Look, Ruby." Ruby's face turned into a frown. "If I tell your sister about Raven Branwen, there'll be consequences. The kind of consequences that either of us don't want." Jaune's voice became quiet and soft.

"I'm sorry."

Ruby's expression showed sadness; a slow nod was the only response that Jaune received.

Noticing the howling wind that just rushed behind her as she raced from the platform to him, Jaune pulled the rapier out of the brick wall. Jaune's rapier blocked a powerful hit from Ruby's scythe. The heavy air that surrounded the two made Jaune grimace, before slashing at the girl, who kept blocking and swerving. Jaune swung around her, with movements that were similar to dancing, the bullets danced between the two.

The sounds highlighted the night; the broken mood shined its light on the platform. Ruby dodged a punch from Jaune, only to block another before throwing him backwards. Ruby flung her scythe, transforming it into a sniper rifle before firing multiple shots at Jaune, who kept dodging. Jaune's armour developed a small crack when one of the bullets slammed against his armour, making a chinking sound.

Jaune raised his rapier to block the scythe, simply swerving out of the scythe's way every time. Ruby did a sideways swing; Jaune ducked before kicking the scythe into the air and slashing it at her. Ruby jumped back; kicking the scythe out of Jaune's hands only for it to land onto the rooftops behind Jaune.

The two remained silent, only for Jaune to sigh. "Listen, Ruby." Jaune walked towards Crescent Rose whilst keeping an eye on Ruby. "I _really_ don't want to hurt you. You're a nice girl, with a lovely High-Caliber Sniper Scythe and you're far too merciful to kill me." Ruby had a frown on her face. "So, Rubes, please let me go."

He hated it. He hated how he had to fight one of the most nicest people that he met so far on Remnant. Alas, Ruby's hits became harder than before, Ruby's expression showed determination.

Ruby had someone to care about.

But Jaune had the world to care for.

Jaune rushed towards the end of the rooftops; descending down onto the platforms below. Using his rapier, he scrapped across the wall, the sounds of metal screeching distracting him from noticing the sounds of quick movement. Jaune landed down on the ground. He rushed towards the Bloody Forest, only to hear swirling noises.

Roses descended down on the ground, to reveal Ruby Rose.

Jaune began to pick up the pace, rushing towards the girl with a lurching blade. Ruby blocked various hits, before slashing, only for Jaune to be launched back towards a wall. Jaune slammed his rapier into the ground, before the rapier stopped to a halt. Jaune grabbed for his right shoulder, only to feel the warmth of blood dripping down his shoulder. Ruby looked shocked; before rushing towards him in concern.

 _'Wait, there's blood dripping out of my shoulder?'_

"Oh my god, I didn't know you were a civilian!" Ruby looked apologetic, to say the least. Ruby flung her arms into the air; exaggerating her motions as she did so. "You were like this-" Ruby was exaggerating chopping motions, much to Jaune's amusement. "-To this!" Ruby's gestures somehow became more exaggerated.

"For a civilian, you were fighting so well! Did you get any training? How did you know that my weapon was a high-caliber sniper-scythe?" Ruby's expression showed exhilaration as she mentioned her weapon, Crescent Rose, Jaune couldn't help but palm his face in exasperation.

Shouldn't she be concerned over the fact that she made a civilian bleed?

"Listen, Rubes. Can you unlock my aura, please?" Ruby looked at him with a small smile, "Sure! Why didn't you say so?"

For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee.

Ruby pressed her palms on Jaune's shoulders - and spoke with a silver glow. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite n distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

Then, the glowing stopped, and the two heard heels clicking. Jaune had to hold Ruby up with his arm to make sure she didn't fall down in exhaustion.

"Ms. Rose, Mr. Arc, are you two alright?" Both Jaune and Ruby's posture became stiff at the voice behind them, only to reveal Professor Goodwitch.

Jaune & Ruby looked at each other.

Ruby looked at Professor Goodwitch, the huntress was frowning at the sight of them.

"Wait, you're a huntress? Can I get your autograp-?" Her voice trailed into snores.

-Q-

 **QUEST: COMPLETED!**

 **Quest EXP: 4000*3 = 12000.**

 **Second Reward: ?**

 **Level Up - X2!**

 **Jaune Arc: LVL 20 - LVL 22**

 **EXP: 4,470/6,900**

-Q-

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part II_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Jaune Arc's/The Player's POV_

 _'One thing that I just noticed from the canon show was how bullshit this premise seems. I mean, a fifteen year old Signal student somehow survives a confrontation with Torchwick, gets trained by Qrow Branwen and then gets invited to Beacon Academy by its own Headmaster. How did Ruby not think that there wasn't something up with that?'_

Jaune was in deep thought, simply watching Ozpin stir the coffee in his mug with a spoon. The man looked as nonchalant as ever, not batting an eye over the events that transpired tonight. _'Though, Ozpin seems to have more of a presence when you meet him than from a screen, admittedly.'_

-P-

 ** _Ruby Rose's LVL: 32_**

 ** _Glynda Goodwitch's LVL: ?_**

 ** _Ozpin's LVL: ?_**

-P-

 _'Other than Ruby's LVL, the LVLs are unreadable.'_ Jaune was, to his surprise, relieved about it. _'Ozpin and Goodwitch had a fighting chance against Cinder, at least.'_ But, that was where the crux of the problem originated.

"So, Mr. Arc, how do you know that woman in the airship?"

 _[Skill: *Gamer's Mind* Activated!]_

 _'Of all the times I fucked up, of all the times that I messed up dialogue, it had to reference Cinder Fall.'_ Jaune was looking at the coffee in Ozpin's cup in thought; only to stare at Glynda Goodwitch. Goodwitch possessed a look of suspicion on her face; walking around the room in a deep ponder. Ozpin, on the other hand, was nonchalant.

A careful analysis would suggest that he was rather fixated on the Arc for an answer.

 _'So, what do I say? It's clear that this wasn't supposed to happen. I can't inform them of the secret society, Salem, or any of the sort. They'd suspect me as a sleeper agent or a traitor to the other side and gut me for information.'_ Jaune paused.

"That woman looked like a friend. A friend who disappeared a few years ago." Jaune said slowly, before stirring the spoon in his own cup of coffee. Jaune looked out the window, only to think of _them._

One of his family members - at least one of the people he remembered - looked a lot like Cinder Fall. _'I used to make jokes about it; making cinder and fall puns constantly. It was so amusing to watch; her reaction was hilarious.'_ Jaune took a small sip from his cup.

 _'Then, the war happened, didn't it?'_ Jaune stopped stirring his cup.

Ozpin looked at Jaune, only to stir his cup of coffee as well. "Mr. Arc, we could talk about it later, if you want." He motioned for Miss Goodwitch to leave for a few moments, the Professor had left the room with a weary look on her face. Jaune nodded.

"I'm sorry, it's just that she looked like a relative. It wasn't her, though. She'd have never caused that destruction or attempted to kill us on the rooftops." Ozpin nodded at this; only to take a sip from his cup.

"Mr Arc, I'll be blunt with you." Ozpin stared at Jaune; who slowly cocked an eyebrow at Ozpin's action. "You are an anomaly in all of this. A wildcard." Jaune's eyebrows raised further at the aspect.

"Well," He spoke. "I want to stay away from that horrible woman," He paused. "She is nothing like the woman she looks like."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow but nodded. "As you are a civilian, Miss Rose could be punished by the law for her actions against you." Jaune Arc turned to look at him, dismissing the cup on his table and merely putting it by the side. Ozpin had a small, subtle frown on his face. "Technically, her actions were just. She defended the shopkeeper against Roman Torchwick, she fought alongside you and Professor Goodwitch."

Ozpin paused. "But there's something wrong, isn't there?" Jaune deduced. "You're wondering why a civilian managed to fight a huntress-in-training without any training whatsoever?" Ozpin raised a hand, before nodding.

"Yes, I am. However, let's focus on the important issue at hand." Ozpin took another sip from his coffee. "I'm going to give you a choice."

Jaune paused.

-Q-

 ** _Decision Situation._**

 ** _Ozpin: "I'm going to offer you a chance to attend Beacon Academy, to be one of the many successful hunters & huntresses in Vale. You can go along with initiation, get into a team and the sort. Ruby Rose will be freed of her actions because of this."_**

 ** _"However, if you refuse this opportunity, Ruby Rose will be held for her attack against you and will not attend Beacon Academy."_**

 ** _OPTION 1: "BEACON STORYLINE"._**

 ** _OPTION 2: "VALE UNDERWORLD STORYLINE"._**

 _[Regardless of what you state/decide, no stat points will be earned in this decision situation.]_

-Q-

"Option 1."

-Q-

 _[Are you sure of your decision? You cannot take your decision back after this point.]_

-Q-

"I'm sure."

Ozpin nodded. "Very well. You, as well as Miss Rose, will be entered for Beacon Academy's Initiation." Jaune nodded.

Ozpin stood up, dusting his clothes with a look of nonchalance on his face. "It was a pleasure discussing with you, Mr Arc. I'll be heading to talk with Ruby Rose. Have a good evening. Oh, and be there at 4:00PM. The Bullheads will start leaving at 4:30PM at Vale Port."

"Thank you, Mr Ozpin. Have a good evening."

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part III_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Port Vale_

 _Jaune Arc's/The Player's POV_

 _'You know, I always imagined that if I ever became Jaune Arc, I'd be so excited. I'd be friends with Team RWBY & Team JNPR, I'd stop Torchwick, Cinder & Salem.'_ Jaune paused, gazing at the bullheads in front of him. There was a moderate size of people around the area; parents were saying their farewells to their future hunters-in-training & huntresses-in-training and everything was fine.

 _"You know, Jaune, we're going to miss you lad."_ It seems that his oldest sister had decided to ring in from his thoughts, speaking through his scroll. Jaune chuckled. "Of course, Juniper, I'll only be gone for like four years. It won't feel like a century." Then, there was laughter from the phone, making Jaune smile despite himself.

 _"Never change, Jaune. I swear to god that if you end up like some dull kid who pretends that the world hates him..."_ Jaune laughed, before becoming quiet at the raised eyebrows directed towards him. "Sorry, everyone just stared at me because I was laughing."

 _"Oi! Let me get on the phone!"_ After that, there was a momentary argument, only for Yui to get on the phone. _"Alright, alright, I know what I'm doing here guys. Saph, no, don't you dare throw that at me!"_ Jaune palmed his face that was becoming red at the looks he was getting from the people around him.

"Guys, everyone's staring at me right now, aren't we supposed to have an important moment!" Jaune whispered, looking around the area before noticing that he was going to go in soon. _"Alright, alright. It's Sapphire, act cool and don't mess around. Don't break any legs, alright?"_ Jaune was struggling not to laugh at this point, breathing in slowly to calm himself down.

 _"Jaune, are you there?"_

"Sorry, sorry. Guys, I'll be fine. We'll talk every weekend, don't worry about it." Jaune sighed.

 _"Alright, son, one more thing. If you want to be taken seriously, tell long stories in class and drink cups of coffee. Oh, and wear that ferocious rabbit onesie of yours that Amethyst gave you."_ There was laughter on the phone after the sound of Jaune doing a facepalm in response.

"I'm going to miss you guys, you know that?"

 _"We know. Oh, and your mom just told me to remind you that strangers are always friends that you haven't met yet, by the way."_ Jaune rolled his eyes, smiling in response.

"Alright, I gotta go, see you soon."

 _"Bye, Jauney! Don't forget that confidence always attracts-"_ At that, Jaune laughed, before saying his farewells on the phone.

 _*Click!*_

Jaune looked towards the Bullhead, a frown appearing on his face a few moments later.

 _'I thought it'd be so exciting, but I was so wrong. I wish I wasn't wrong - I do. It just seems that only the strongest or the people who have silver eyes can survive in this world.'_

Then, Jaune walked into the Bullhead, before gazing at the orange sky outside.

"Welcome to Beacon, Jaune Arc."

* * *

 ** _Stat Sheet_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 23_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _HP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _MP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _SP: ?/? (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?.)_**

 ** _EXP: 2,430/7,640_**

 ** _Location: ?_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 0/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 100/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 5/100_**

 ** _-Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 28 [37]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 30 [38]_**

 ** _Vitality: 30 [34]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 26 [28]_**

 ** _Agility: 32 [32]_**

 ** _Rose's Thorns: + 3 STR/4 DEX._**

 ** _Rose's Crown: + 3 STR/2 DEX/2 VIT._**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 6/10 (1 point per minute. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 5_**


	6. 06 - Beacon Of Light

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

 _"Are you okay?" Juniper asked._

 _Jaune did not respond._

 _"Kid, I know you're... not the same as before, but please," She begged, "We're your family. Your people-!"_

 _He closed his eyes._

 _"-I'm not Jaune Arc," Jaune responded firmly, "I'm just a replacement."_

 _Juniper's soft but calloused hands found their place on his hands. "Kid, please. I'm your sister."_

 _He held his tongue._

 _"Do not hate yourself for what happened. Promise me, Jaune..."_

 _He would make no such promises._

 _"You won't hate yourself..."_

 _Jaune opened his eyes._

 _"Jaune Arc is dead," He whispered. "He's alive to this family. He's dead to me."_

 _This time, it was Juniper who didn't respond._

 _Jaune gazed at Juniper's forlorn eyes, and hugged her. "I'm sorry for replacing your brother."_

 _Juniper couldn't bring herself to speak and neither did Jaune._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _The Airship_

Something puzzled Jaune Arc, or the Player, or whoever he was.

Jaune Arc stood near one of the windows, gazing at the blue skies that looked back. White, wispy clouds flickered around the airship, the air danced around those clouds, giving a pleasant view for him. But, to his concern, there wasn't a pleasant feeling in his chest.

Something didn't make sense about how he woke up: He died from the experiment; he came back in the body of Jaune Arc; he met his new family; took advantage of the Game and any bonus that appeared his way. Over and over, he thought about what to do.

Jaune didn't hear the faint footsteps that were around him; he didn't listen to the chatter; he didn't care. He may have bought the transcripts from Torchwick, he faked his way into Beacon - he did feel some guilt - but there was something wrong. _'How does my mana work? Is it the reason why my injuries from the forest faded away, or is it something else?'_

 _'Nobody, other than myself, has mana. In that case, why was my mana unlocked but not my own aura?'_

Then, Jaune looked at the menu.

-M-

 _Time: 9:15AM_

 _Weather: Cloudy/Sunny_

 _User: Jaune Arc_

 _LVL: 23_

 _[There is nothing important here, focus on your goal.]_

-M-

 _What was his goal?_

There was a purpose; there had to be. It wouldn't just give him a power that let him toy with a world like Remnant, it wouldn't let him fight at such _ease_ without any purpose. Sure, there was fighting Cinder, but was fighting Cinder and Salem the purpose of his stay in Remnant?

Jaune shook his head; moving some hair from his face.

"There has to be a reason, has to be. All of these people wouldn't end up fighting the White Fang for a reason..." Jaune looked at the opening entrance of the airship, only to walk towards the crowd that formed in front of it, the shining sun blinding him for a few moments.

"This is why I always prefer wearing sunglasses all the time, I swear." Jaune mumbled under his breath, walking away after he became silent.

Meanwhile, an individual had a curious expression of suspicion, only to walk towards Beacon Academy at a quick pace.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part II_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

There was something about meeting Ruby Rose a third time that was cathartic.

Something was wrong with this meeting.

 _'Did Blake leave earlier or something? Did something happen?'_

Ruby didn't just have a look of dejection; she looked sombre. She was saying the same things, acting the same way, but it was what showed on her face that highlighted this impression.

Was this why Jaune wanted to help her? Did he feel some sort of sympathy for her, in this moment?

Well, it looks like it was up to Jaune Arc of all people to become her first friend in Beacon.

"You know, Rubes, we need to stop meeting like this all the time. What would your sister think?" Jaune was sarcastic, holding out a hand a moment later at Ruby's look. Jaune's expression softened, giving out a quiet sigh a moment later. "Look, just accept my hand and we'll re-introduce ourselves, okay?"

A few moments later, Ruby grabbed his hand. "Thanks, mister." Ruby said, in a quiet voice. "I'm sorry about the shoulder, are you alright?" Jaune looked shocked for a few moments, only to smile. "It's fine, it's fine. The name's Jaune Arc." A moment later, Jaune spoke. "Before you joke about it, please don't call me Juan Arc, that's annoying."

Ruby gave a small smile. "Ruby. Nice to meet you, Jaune." Then, she snickered. "Or Juan."

-F-

 _ **Ruby Rose has been added to your Friends' List!**_

 _ **Closeness: 10/100 (New Friend)**_

-F-

 _'Well, she's feeling better, that's good.'_

Jaune was indignant, exaggerating his movements as he thought of something to say. "Excuse me?!" Jaune exaggerated his words, only to shake his head. "I didn't sneeze on some dust and blow the whole area up. Also, I didn't snicker at someone else. What if I called you crater face?" Jaune rolled his eyes after Ruby shook her head quickly.

"It was an accident!"

"Alright, alright." Jaune used pacifying gestures. "I apologise. The name's Jaune Arc, short, sweet, probably rolls off the tongue, ladies love it." Ruby shook her head, only to cock an eyebrow. "Do they?" Jaune turned to her, shrugging. "Probably, probably not. I mean, it's a name, I'd be terrified if women went after me because of a name."

Ruby chuckled, flipping her scythe outwards a few seconds later. Jaune jumped. "Ruby! Could you not give me a heart attack?!" Ruby looked apologetic, only to not apologise after looking at the look on Jaune's face. "Anyway, is that a high-caliber sniper rifle with a scythe?" Afterwards, Jaune walked to the weapon in fascination.

"Seriously, how does it work? What does it do? Could we work on future weapons for this?!" Jaune was speaking at a fast pace, dashing around. Ruby smiled. "Jaune, calm down! How about what you have?"

Then, Ruby gazed at Corcea Mors, glancing at it with curiosity. Jaune looked at Crocea Mors, marvelling at the fact that _he_ was using it.

-E-

 _Name: Crocea Mors_

 _Title: 'The Yellow Death'_

 _Grade/Class: A_

 _Description: A legendary_ _weapon_ _forged many years ago by Julius Arc, one of the first heroes hailed from the Arc lineage. Julius Arc was known for his unbelievable prowess in battle. At his prime, Julius Arc took down many warriors at once with the blade._

 _This weapon has seen many wars and battles, treat it with respect._

 _Stats Given: None._

 _TYPE: Blade/Shield_

 _TITLE: 'The Yellow Executioner'._

 _Equip Bonus: 'The Yellow Executioner' gives 50% bonus DMG towards all Grimm and those affiliated with the Grimm._

 _Note: Has various forms._

-E-

"It's a bit of a classic, actually. It's a family heirloom that is comprised of a sword and shield, quite interesting." Ruby seemed to make some noise over that, she gazed at Crocea Mors with interest, before touching it. "What does it do? Does it have some super crazy add-on or something?"

Jaune chuckled, shaking his head. "No, Rubes, I'm afraid not." Ruby became disappointed at that, before shrugging. "Anyway, the shield can become a smaller size, making it easier to carry around despite the lack of change in weight. As for the sword, I don't know. I think there's something but it seems to only be a sword."

"Did you seriously make that scythe-sniper, though? That must've been crazy, actually. How in the world did you make this?!" Jaune's jaw dropped at the sight of Crescent Rose, looking at the structure with a non-subtle intrigue. _'That's it! I'm grinding my black-smith skill; Ruby and I are going to make the most craziest weapons ever and-!'_

"I did go overboard with it, but it looks cool and I'm a dork with weapons." Ruby had a grin of excitement on her face when she looked at Jaune. "I didn't know you were a weapons dork, too!"

Jaune shrugged.

Ruby looked away, becoming quiet. Jaune became concerned. "Look, Rubes, why are you upset?"

Ruby paused, sighing a few moments later. "Why did you help me back there?" Ruby stated, looking at the ground as they walked. "I hurt you, Jaune. We fought on the rooftops after dealing with Torchwick."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "What are you trying to say, Ruby? That you're sorry?"

"Yes, I'm sorry." After a few seconds of deliberation, Ruby spoke. "I should've been careful, what if I landed that same hit on a worse place? Would we both be at Beacon?"

Jaune paused.

"Ruby, you couldn't have known that I lacked _that_ of all things." Softly, Jaune spoke. "I'm sorry, too, if that makes you feel better. Let's just move on from it, now." Ruby looked at Jaune for a moment, only to notice Jaune giving her a small smile. "We're friends, now. Aren't we?"

Ruby looked towards Beacon Academy; walking towards the building and the auditorium.

Ruby gave a small smile. "Yeah."

"We're friends."

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part III_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Auditorium_

"Alright, Ruby. You'll find your sister in this area, I'll hide to avoid her to avoid death, got it?" Ruby chuckled at that, shaking her head. "She won't kill you, Jaune. She'll break a few legs, so be careful." Jaune chuckled. "I really don't want to have a leg breaking experience, so I'll head off."

Ruby groaned. "Jaune! Please don't make puns, Yang makes enough puns as it is!" Jaune laughed; ignoring the people who were looking at the duo. Then, the Arc shrugged. "Well, I'll see you later. See you!"

"See you later, Jaune."

Afterwards, Jaune fled. Yes, he fled. He didn't run; he didn't sprint. No, he must've had the quickest walk in history because of it.

 _'I am not getting my ass kicked by Yang, thank you very much.'_

"-We'll talk about cute boys like, tall, blonde and scraggly over there-!"

Jaune fled the area, walking towards the opposite end of where the voice originated. _'Nope, nope. NOPE, NOPE. I don't care if I managed to go through dimensions, I am not getting beat up by Yang Xiao Long, you could force me to face that plant Grimm again and again but I am NOT fighting her!'_

"Ruby, is that who I think it is-?"

Then, the sound of a microphone interrupted the individual.

"I'll keep this brief."

 _'THANK YOU, OZPIN! THANK YOU!'_

The speech was the same, Ozpin was the same individual as before. He talked about wasted energy, he talked about the direction that they needed, he talked about how they were the ones who needed to take the first step. But what first step was there to take? Jaune didn't spend his time amassing books and absorbing them, he trained and read nowadays.

He always rejected the idea of absorbing information in a game; it felt unfair.

 _["Isn't that hypocritical, though? You can literally change the world with what you have. You're a gamer, Jaune."]_

Good point. He could just train his skills, read books and study ahead. That way, he'd be far ahead in everything and his stats wouldn't suffer for it.

There's an issue with the LVLs, though. Isn't Ruby LVL 32? Yang is one of the toughest students in our year and she's LVL 37, fourteen levels ahead of him. What about Pyrrha Nikos? What LVL was she?

He predicted that the LVL would be around 42-44. If that's true, it means that Pyrrha's LVL was almost twice his LVL, which was worrying.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part IV_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Massive Sleepover_

Restless.

Jaune was restless; refusing to sit down onto his bed and sleep. He'd grabbed a chair, simply sitting in one of the corners with a candle, gazing at the shattered moon. Jaune was weary - he couldn't shake the feeling of longing. To see them again, _his old family._

It's been months since he's appeared on Remnant; why did he still long for him? Why couldn't he accept that those people were gone? Jaune scoffed, simply grabbing a notebook from his bag and he began to draw.

-SK-

 ** _Skill: Drawing_**

 ** _Description: One of the many forms of visual art. The user uses a variety of drawing instruments to mark paper or a substitutes._**

 ** _40% Efficiency + Skill in Drawing/40% More Appealing._**

 ** _LVL: 10_**

-SK-

Despite his reluctance, Jaune acknowledged that he was going to forget about them, eventually. He'd only have the memories of Jaune Arc, the person who ended up with the Gamer's Mind and Body. He already forgot his name; whether if that was because his name couldn't be used or not was a curious question.

 _'Stats.'_

-S-

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 23_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _HP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _MP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _SP: ?/? (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?.)_**

 ** _EXP: 2,430/7,640_**

 ** _Location: Beacon Academy_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 0/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 100/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 5/100_**

 ** _-Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 28 [37]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 30 [38]_**

 ** _Vitality: 30 [34]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 26 [28]_**

 ** _Agility: 32 [32]_**

 ** _Stat Points: 5_**

-S-

For a moment, Jaune paused. He noticed that Ruby and Yang were talking to Blake, who looked rather exasperated with the two. A moment later, she looked curious when Ruby began to talk.

Then, Jaune resumed his activities.

-S-

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 23_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _HP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _MP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _SP: ?/? (Will be unlocked by ? during ? in ?.)_**

 ** _EXP: 2,430/7,640_**

 ** _Location: Beacon Academy_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 0/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 100/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 5/100_**

 ** _-Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 28 [37]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 30 [38]_**

 ** _Vitality: 30 [34]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 31 [33]_**

 ** _Agility: 32 [32]_**

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**

-S-

With that, all of his stats were now in the thirties. Jaune marvelled at the stats; looking at himself and around the area. _'Now that I think of it, this body seems to be stronger and bigger than the canon version. Wait a moment, am I seeing this?'_ Jaune noticed something odd.

For some reason, the area around him seemed to be more detailed. Admittedly, it was rather bizarre. His body seemed stronger than in canon, things seemed more detailed, he was calmer and he knew what to do in these situations now. Where was the stress? Where were the thoughts about what he should do?

It was gone.

Jaune couldn't be more relieved.

 _'I'm betting that I look like the crossover between a drunk Jaune Arc and a rat.'_ Jaune began to breathe in deeply, trying to not disturb anyone. He noticed Ruby was beginning to turn her shoulder to him. _'Don't laugh, don't laugh, don't laugh!'_

 _[You're a drunk rat, Jaune.]_

Jaune wheezed; his chest shook as he suppressed his laughter.

-S-

Name: Jaune Arc

Title: Drunk Rajaune (BONUS: When Jaune thinks of a drunk rat, a Grimm spawns in the Emerald Forest.)

-S-

 _'Please, don't do this to me.'_

-S-

Name: Rajaune

-S-

 _[Okay, Rajaune, I won't do it again.]_

 _'Didn't you just-?'_

 _[No, I didn't.]_

 _'Never mind.'_

Jaune still had the urge to laugh.

"Jaune!"

Then, a sigh escaped Jaune's lips. He was surprised that he didn't run out of air because of how many times he sighed today.

Either way, it seemed that he was going to talk with Ruby.

"Hey, Rubes. Rough night?" Jaune rubbed his eyes, yawning afterwards. "Sorry - I am really tired." Quietly, Ruby chuckled. She grabbed a chair from one of the other corners, before placing it besides his own chair. "It's fine, I feel tired too." Ruby yawned, rubbing her eyes afterwards.

"So, how come Yang isn't coming over to throw me off a cliff?"

Ruby sighed. "She's upset over what you did. The only reason why she hasn't talked to you is because I told her to trust me."

"Fair enough." Jaune looked towards the moon; before beginning to draw again.

Ruby looked at Jaune with a curious expression. "I didn't know you liked to draw." For a moment, Jaune's pencil dug against the paper, almost tearing through it. Then, his grip became normal. Ruby began to backtrack. "Sorry, Jaune, I didn't know it was something bad."

Jaune became weary. "It's fine, Rubes. You didn't know."

After that, it was silent. Jaune kept drawing; before a look of frustration developed. "Dammit, it's hard to draw without a desk." Ruby pouted, shaking her head. "Jaune, you shouldn't swear."

"I know, I know. Sorry about that."

"It's okay."

Then, it was quiet. Jaune put the notebook on the chair, closing it. "Ruby, can you keep an eye on that notebook, please? I'll be five minutes." Ruby nodded.

"Thanks, Rubes." There was a small smile on Jaune's face.

A few moments later, he returned. It was strange, really.

 _'God, it's so strange. No one's dying or anything, we're just teenagers in a world filled with monsters.'_

 _'Is it better to live in a war-torn world without Grimm or is it better to live in a world filled with Grimm?'_

Jaune looked at Ruby, only to find that she fell asleep on the chair.

Jaune just put the blankets on both chairs, only to sit down on the floor, silently thinking.

 _'Sleeping here would only bring nightmares - nightmares that'd make everyone question things that I don't want to be questioned.'_

Jaune paused.

 _'Then again, I don't want Ruby to be terrified of a person freaking out over things.'_

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part V_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _That One Room That Had A Massive Sleepover_

-W-

 ** _Status:_**

 ** _No Sleep_**

 ** _"All STATS decrease to 1/2 of the original stat for an hour. Gamer may experience adaptability issues, particularly with the environment."_**

-W-

Jaune stared; looking at the shining sun. Already, Jaune had equipped his armour and his weapon, along with Crocea Mors. Jaune stood - leaving the area.

Then, Jaune walked up to the locker room.

Of course, even with all of his knowledge about what would happen in canon, he had managed to fuck it all up.

What did Jaune Arc do?

He walked in-between Yang & Ruby, only to walk in-between Weiss & Pyrrha right at the same moment as it was in canon.

 _'If that is not the definition of timing bias, I don't want to know what would be considered as the definition, I'd rather get fisted by Yang.'_

 _'Of course, the sense being that I was getting hit in the face.'_

"You know what else is fantastic? The ability to interrupt monologues about how you and this girl are the best duo in history." Jaune nodded at Pyrrha and Weiss. The former raised an eyebrow whilst the latter rolled her eyes.

"Who are you to talk to a Schnee with that attitude?"

"Jaune Arc, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Jaune!" Pyrrha waved, Weiss shook her head in exasperation.

"Anyway, do you have an idea where a sword & shield locker is? I'd find it but I forgot which number it was."

Weiss looked at Jaune, only to sigh. "Did you really think that we'd know what the number of your locker is?"

Jaune shrugged. "Anyway, I heard of your fondness of me in the auditorium, how flattering."

Weiss scoffed. "You've got to be kidding me."

Jaune gasped. "Oh, Weiss, you wound me! Your sarcasm could make a cup of tea poisonous."

"Well, if I had the option to poison your tea, I would do it."

"If you served me poisonous tea, I'd drink the whole thing with no regrets."

Weiss crossed her arms, glaring at Jaune, who chuckled at the look. "Wow, Ice Princess, I didn't know you were cruel."

"For one, it's heiress, not ice princess. Second, I'm in the presence of an idiot."

"Flattering. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to be on my team?"

After the mini-quarrel, Pyrrha stepped into the conversation. "I believe that the teams are made of four individuals, not two."

Jaune sighed. "Good point, in which case, I believe you two could go on the same team with me."

Weiss furrowed her eyebrows, scowling at Jaune. "Listen, Arc, do you know who she is?" Weiss pointed at Pyrrha.

Jaune pretended to concentrate on Pyrrha, the latter looked uncomfortable at the fake gaze. Then, Jaune turned to look at Weiss in fake confusion. "I don't know."

"Well, this is Pyrrha." Weiss introduced Pyrrha, who greeted Jaune. "She graduated at the top of her class in Sanctum."

"I don't know her."

For a moment, Pyrrha was surprised. Weiss raised an eyebrow. "She won the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row."

"I don't know her."

Weiss lifted her arms into the air in an exaggerated gesture of frustration. "She's considered as the strongest person in our upcoming year!"

"I still don't know."

Weiss almost slammed her head into the nearest locker in exasperation. "For god's sake, she's on the Pumpkin Pete's boxes!"

"Wait, you're that pretty girl on those boxes?" Pyrrha had a slight blush on her face at the mention, Jaune backpedalled. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to be so forward."

"It's fine, Jaune."

Weiss grabbed the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Let me get this straight, you only recognised her because of Pumpkin Pete?"

"Pretty much."

Weiss removed some of her hair from her face. "Do you really think you can ask her to be on your team?"

Jaune gazed at Weiss, only to look at Pyrrha.

Then, Jaune walked up to Pyrrha. "Hey, wanna be on my team?" Jaune looked at Weiss with a straight face.

Weiss threw her hands up in the air, walking towards the exit as the monitor made an annoucement.

"Pyrrha, a little help, please?"

Jaune dodged a thrown spear.

"Wow, that was cheeky."

"Sorry, Jaune!"

* * *

 ** _Stat Sheet_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 23_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _HP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _MP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _SP: 2300/2300_**

 ** _EXP: 2,430/7,640_**

 ** _Location: Beacon Academy_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 0/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 100/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 0/100_**

 ** _-Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 28 [37]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 30 [38]_**

 ** _Vitality: 30 [34]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 31 [33]_**

 ** _Agility: 32 [32]_**

 ** _Rose's Thorns: + 3 STR/4 DEX._**

 ** _Rose's Crown: + 3 STR/2 DEX/2 VIT._**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	7. 07 - In The Forest With No Gemstones

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

 _"Such a soft rain," Nicholas mused._

 _It was silent._

 _"Son," He turned to face him, "Do you wonder what it's like to think about what could've been?"_

 _Jaune sat there, looking away._

 _After that, Jaune spoke. "All the time."_

 _Nicholas chuckled. "I suppose that makes sense, considering things..."_

 _It was an awkward silence from that point._

 _"I mean, sorry about saying that, I didn't mean to upset you-!"_

 _"-It's fine." Jaune's hollow voice answered him._

 _Nicholas sighed. "Do you ever wish that things went a little differently? That you could do something about the situation, no matter how helpless you were?"_

 _Jaune's hands curled into fists. "I always do, dad."_

 _Dad's eyes widened, and they were slowly filling up with tears._

 _"Did you just... call me dad?"_

 _He nodded._

 _"Listen, Jaune, I know I've never had a chance to say this but..."_

 _Jaune turned to glance at his father, and his eyes widened because of the tears running down his dad's eyes._

 _"I'm sorry for not being there for you when you needed me."_

 _Jaune hugged his father._

 _And for the first time since he died, Jaune cried._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Emerald Hill_

Jaune stared at Ozpin blankly, causing Ozpin to subtly give him a curious look.

"Is there something wrong?"

Jaune looked to his left side, noting that there were no more students.

 _'Area's clear - minor risk in what I'm about to do.'_

"Let me get this straight." Jaune paused, blinking. "We're going to be in a combat academy and the _person who makes eye contact with us will be our partners, whilst being launched into a forest that's filled with Grimm._ Why does this academy have a low fatality rate?"

Ozpin paused; thinking for a moment. There were sounds of people being launched towards the air, many swirling around in the sky, firing their own weapons before dropping into the depths below.

It was silent, completely silent, the Arc waited to see how Ozpin would react. Would he become annoyed? Upset?

But, unsurprisingly, Ozpin had a look of nonchalance.

Then, Ozpin sipped from his cup of coffee. "Mr Arc, as much as I appreciate your ability to question the things around you, consider my words." Ozpin stood straight, raising an arm to stop one irritated Miss Goodwitch from interfering: "In a sense, you're correct. It was set up to make it unfair, based on luck, exasperating circumstances to give an idea of what it's like to be a huntsman."

"You said that knowledge could only take you so far though."

"I said that knowledge could only drive you so far." Ozpin nodded. "But the ability to deal with situations at the spring of a moment can save lives." Ozpin turned to look behind him, gazing at the trees behind him. There was a quiet murmur but Jaune couldn't hear what Ozpin said.

 _[Gamer's Mind: OFF]_

"Wait, sir, can you do me a favour?"

Ozpin blinked. "It depends on the favour. What is it?"

"Can I have access to your coffee machine? I'd like to make a cup of coffee with two cups of sugar and-!"

Then, Jaune was launched into the air.

Ozpin stood in silence, looking at an exasperated Miss Goodwitch.

"This year will be interesting."

Glynda sighed.

Then, Ozpin took a small sip from his cup.

-LS-

 _In this section of the game, the player usually is given a tutorial on what to do._

 _Normally, your stats would allow you to form 'checks'. If they were successful, you'd execute any action you wish without any worry of failure._

 _Seeing as you're in Legendary Mode, this mechanic won't be featured._

 _Careful, though! I hear injuries are brutal if you mess up._

-LS-

 _[WEAPON SWITCH: Crocea Mors!]_

 **[STATUS INITIATED: EXCITED. CAN CONTINUE DOING ACTIONS FIVE MINUTES AFTER RUNNING OUT OF STAMINA]**

Shield & Sword propped between his hands; a grin flashed from the Arc's lips. He felt the pressure of the air, he _struggled_ to move through the air.

 _[SKILL UTILISED: Aura Adrenaline!]_

 _'Now, that's more like it!'_

Jaune swerved through the air at a greater speed, hearing the loud bangs of gunfire up ahead. Jaune lifted the shield, _his shield_ , before slashing through a series of trees to land on the ground. A bramble twisted into two; impaling a Beowulf through its skull. Two red eyes flashed to darkness, wisps flying in the air from its fading body.

From there, Jaune leaped from falling log to another, tilting his shield downwards. The Arc felt Crocea Mors shake as it pulled away from the trees to land on the grass. Then, the logs were in pieces, forming some miniature bridge of sticks that were in line with each other.

With his STR, Jaune gripped the shield tightly, spinning himself around before impaling his sword into the fine grass to keep himself from falling.

 **[STATUS REMOVED: "EXCITED"]**

 _'Great! Now I can find Pyrrha, beat various Grimm, level up and-!]_

 ***ROAR!***

Jaune felt nervous. What was it? A Major Ursa? A massive Nevermore or the Deathstalker from that one cave in the canon show?

-EC-

 ** _[Enemy Cluster Encountered!]_**

 ** _[5 Beowolves! 2 Major Ursa!]_**

 ** _Beowolves LVL: 16_**

 ** _HP: 900/900_**

 ** _MP: 0/0_**

 ** _AURA: 0/0_**

 ** _-_** EC2-

 ** _Major Ursa LVL: 26_**

 ** _HP: 1900/1900_**

 ** _MP: 0/0_**

 ** _AURA: 0/0_**

-EC-

Jaune stood there in silence; brandishing Crocea Mors.

The Grimm howled.

 _-B-_

 _ **BATTLE COMMENCE!**_

 _-B-_

 **[STATUS INITIATED: WORRIED - GAMER'S MIND IS 0.5* AS EFFECTIVE DURING STRESSFUL SITUATIONS.]**

 ** _[ACTIVE TITLE: 'The Yellow Executioner'.]_**

 ** _[Equip Bonus: 'The Yellow Executioner' gives 2X DMG towards all Grimm and those affiliated with the Grimm.]_**

 _'Wow, that's weird. I don't think Gamer's Mind acts in that way. Why is it so unorganised and strange?'_

 _-GM-_

 _[Focus on the Grimm, not the Game!]_

 _-GM-_

Jaune looked around him, lifting his shield up to block a slash from a Beowolf. Then, he slashed at it. To his surprise, the Beowolf dodged at a quick pace, slowly gathering the Grimm behind it. He dropped to the floor to avoid a lunge, kicked one of the Grimm in its mask to fling it backwards before slashing its chest. Then, he moved back, giving himself space to think.

[DMG: 300*2 = 600!]

 _'Alright; they're quicker than the canon Grimm. I'll need to cut the Ursa's legs, but I'm unsure about the Beowolves. Maybe their claws and jaws?'_

Then, it got worse. The Grimm were now focusing on him, dashing towards his location with the Ursa at the back. Strangely, the Beowolves looked as if they were _guarding_ the Ursa. If he was correct, the Grimm were trying to sacrifice themselves to ensure that he was killed by the Ursa.

That wasn't normal behaviour; Grimm weren't this intelligent! Jaune swung the Beowolf around, bashing it in the face with his shield to send it flying into the other Grimm. The Beowolves tumbled onto the Ursa who stamped on them, rushing at Jaune with a loud roar. Then, the remaining beowolves were shielding the Ursa.

 ** _[DMG PER BEOWOLF: 250*2 = 500!]_**

 ** _[BEOWOLF ELIMINATED! 900 EXP!]_**

 ** _[HP PER REMAINING BEOWOLF: 425!]_**

 ** _[EXP: 3,300/7,640]_**

Jaune slid underneath one of the Ursa, dashing towards the Beowolves who were snarling. Jaune threw his shield, whacking two of the Beowolves in the mask, the sounds of cracking were heard seconds later. Then, Jaune decided to try summoning his rapier.

 _-NS-_

 ** _New Skill!_**

 ** _Dual-Wield!_**

 ** _DESCRIPTION: WATCH OUT!_**

 _-NS-_

 _'Shit!'_

Jaune swerved out of the way; gripping his rapier and lunged forward. He watched as black dust fell to the ground, fizzing out of the Beowolves' body. Then, he ducked, slashing the Ursa's legs. The ursa screamed, falling to the ground with a heavy thud. Springing up, he impaled the Beowolves through their chests, slamming them into the other Ursa. They were sent backwards into a tree; shaking for a few moments only to stop.

 _-BS-_

 ** _[DMG PER BEOWOLF: 360*2 = 720!]_**

 ** _[BEOWOLVES ELIMINATED: 900*4 = 3,600!]_**

 ** _[MINOR URSA CRIPPLED: 375*2+0.75 = 1031.25!]_**

 ** _[MINOR URSA DAMAGED: 375*2 = 562.5!]_**

 ** _[EXP: 6,900/7,640]_**

 ** _[TWO MAJOR URSA REMAIN.]_**

 _-BS-_

Switch! Jaune leaped into the air, propelling himself down to strike the Ursa down.

 _*SLASH!*_

 _ **[HP: 900/2300]**_

 _[Gamer's Mind: Activated!]_

Jaune bit his hand because of the pain. He was instantly fidgeting when he touched what must've been where the claw struck - and even as his wound healed, it was fucking painful.

 _'Oh god, why is it so painful-!'_

 _"That's it, you pieces of bear shit!"_

Jaune snarled, replacing organised strikes with slashes of ferocity. He spun the weapon before bashing the second Ursa in the face with it. A kick directed to the shield of Crocea Mors propelled it backwards. _Swipe!_ A terrifying scream; his heart beat quickly in response.

Switch! Jaune smashed the Ursa's mask into white dust. The Ursa's body faded into black.

Then, he turned. Quickly, he walked. The Ursa gave a pitiful growl before it was slashed into pieces.

Jaune sat to the back of a tree, sighing. His vision blurred; he was hearing very loud ringing. He couldn't stop worrying when he heard the rustling of the hedges.

 _-S-_

 ** _Dual-Wield: LVL5_**

 ** _20% Efficiency With Dual-Wielding._**

 ** _Description: The ability to utilise two weapons for the purpose of beating your enemy._**

 _-S-_

 ** _[TWO URSA DEFEATED!]_**

 ** _[ALL GRIMM ARE DEFEATED!]_**

 ** _[EXP GAINED: 3000 EXP!]_**

 ** _[JAUNE ARC'S LVL: 23 - 24]_**

 _-S-_

 ** _[STATUS INITIATED: BLEEDING - LOSS OF 3 HP EVERY 2 MINS]_**

 ** _[STATUS PARTIALLY BLOCKED BY MANA: LOSS OF HP PER 2 MINS = 1.5HP]_**

 _'Alright, that means I have around ten hours to get out of here, shouldn't be too hard.'_

"Oh my god, Jaune, your face!"

Jaune couldn't recognise who it was; his vision was blurry. He was dazed, barely standing because of how close he was to fainting. He waved over, slumping towards the side of a tree, sighing afterwards: "Wow, I never imagined I'd be so tired after a fight with Ursa of all things."

"Jaune, can you hear me?! It's me, Pyrrha!"

"Hey Pyrrha." Jaune paused. "Wait, it's you?" Jaune sighed as he imagined Pyrrha's look from that statement. "Sorry, what I meant was more like the lines of 'I am rather grateful for not being alone in this place, otherwise I'd be eaten alive or something like that..."

 _'Stats..'_

-S-

 _'Evader Of Fame'_

 _Pyrrha Nikos:_

 _LVL: 44_

 _SEMBLANCE: ?_

 _[Information: You're too disoriented to find out. Having a HP that = or 50% causes this effect.]_

 _-S-_

"Are you okay?" Pyrrha questioned with a concerned look.

Jaune deadpanned. "A bear-sized Grimm just clawed at my entire face; isn't that the last question you should be asking?" Pyrrha was sheepish - and that made Jaune sigh.

Pyrrha put her arm over Jaune's left shoulder, helping him stand up.

"I don't know how, I don't know why, but I managed to deal with them." Jaune chuckled. "Do you have anything that can cover my face? I don't think anyone would like looking at this face." Then, he paused, giving a sombre look afterwards. "Sorry about that, I got a bit cocky and if it was a bit closer to my eyes..." Pyrrha sighed.

"Be careful next time, okay?"̵

Then, it was silent.

 _"_ Pyrrha gazed with concern; turning her head to check their surroundings. Jaune sighed. That was one messy situation.

Regardless, he would have time to think about it after initiation.

"Alright, Pyrrha, let's head to the temple."

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part II_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Emerald Forest_

It was a beautiful day outside; birds were fluttering in the air. It would be a good time for our two fellow individuals to talk about the most important things of their lives...

Of course, life doesn't let it happen that way.

"Let me get this straight, you decided to face a few beowolves and Major Ursa without aura and lived? Why would you even go to a combat academy without aura?"

 _'Oh my, it's that cave. It's the cave with the Deathstalker in it.'_

"Jaune, are you okay? You seem rather upset."

"Pyrrha, I'm going to run into that cave and get the Deathstalker from that cave to follow us."

Pyrrha stood there with an indescribable look.

"Jaune, how many bowls of Pumpkin Pete's did you have this morning?"

A few moments later, Jaune grabbed Pyrrha and ran.

 _*SCREE!*_

 _[SKILL: AURA ADRENALINE!]_

"Fifty bowls, Pyrrha!"

"Jaune, the amount of sugar in fifty bowls of Pumpkin Pete's could kill you. How are you not dead?"

"Plot armor, Pyrrha! Plot armor!"

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part III_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Emerald Forest_

 _The Temple_

"Oh lord, we're getting chased by a Deathstalker, looking up at a Nevermore, and now are at the temple. How could this possibly get even worse-!"

 _*THUD*_

Jaune grumbled; trying to rub his back. "Why did I even ask?"

Weiss huffed; crossing her arms in irritation. "If you're going to be this annoying all the time, it's no wonder you and Ruby are best friends."

"If you're going to be this talkative all the time, I'm going to think you care for me." Jaune chuckled at the glare he was given by Weiss, who looked the other way. "You're welcome, by the way, just making sure you didn't break your legs."

"Ooh, Ren! Can we break some legs?"

"No, Nora."

Jaune blinked. "Weiss, could you get off me, please?"

Weiss sprung upwards, walking away towards Ruby, giving Jaune a momentary scowl.

"Of course, there's still a massive bird to deal with. Oh, and there's the gargantuan scorpion in the corner that I woke up for shits and giggles."

"You did what!"

"What really happened was that I accidentally walked into a cave and offered the Deathstalker a bag of cookies." Then, there was Yang, who refused to acknowledge him at all. Pyrrha was palming her face, giving a quiet sigh before looking at Nora & Ren.

Ren shook his head, giving a small smile at the sight of them.

"Ruby!"

Ruby dashed off in an instant; running towards the Deathstalker which gave out a frightening screech. Its pincers tittered as its legs moved; crawling amongst the grass. Only Ruby was running. Jaune launched forwards, hurtling through, gritting his teeth at the wind blowing into his face.

 _Ten seconds._

Ruby fired at the Nightstalker; retracting the weapon a few moments later. The bullets couldn't penetrate its exoskeleton at all; the only evidence were subtle miniature marks on the armour.

 _Five seconds._

Ruby was running towards him. A monstrous scream from above forced him to raise his shield, holding his sword to protect his midsection, he barely dodged a feather that would've split his left leg into two if it had collided into him.

 _Two seconds._

Ruby was hurtling her cape forwards - it was tightly attached to the feather that penetrated it.

Pure panic was on her face; her tugs became desperate.

 _One second._

Jaune moved in front of Ruby, raising Crocea Mors upwards-

 _Crunch._

Jaune's shield took the brunt of the hit; the Deathstalker's tail was scrapping against the shield itself. The Arc snarled, swinging around and cutting the bottom part of Ruby's cape, only to get slammed backwards.

Jaune impaled the sword into the dry ground, cringing at the feeling of his weapon digging into the ground and slowing him down.

He was pissed.

 _'A second too late and Weiss might've not saved Ruby in time. She would've died.'_

Ruby was back at his side, looking at him with guilt. He shook his head; gritting his teeth at the sight of Ruby. "Ruby, get the rest of Team RWBY and Team JNPR and head out to the bridge. From there, make sure that you have a plan to take these Grimm down."

"Jaune, I-!"

"Run!"

At that, Jaune & Ruby ran towards the hills. Everyone fled from the area; having grabbed some of the chess pieces. Jaune rolled to his right, swung around a feather, jumped from feather to feather. _He kept dodging. He kept trying to stay_ _alive._ But, there it was, the feelings of panic. That old feeling of panic, of fear, the emotions that made him a coward.

At that, Jaune scowled.

 _'What is my goal?'_

 _'I won't make the same mistake twice - I'm not a coward anymore.'_

And so, Jaune & Ruby made it to the bridge.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part IV_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Emerald Forest_

 _The Bridge_

 _'Hold your ground, keep your shoulders steady, wait for the right time to strike. Now!'_

Jaune surged forwards, evading the jabs given by the massive Grimm behind him. To his relief, Ruby was behind him with the rest of what was Team RWBY and Team JNPR. They gazed at the Nevermore flying in the air; Jaune's shoulders were tense. Ruby put a hand on Jaune's shoulder, gazing quietly.

"Ruby, do you know what to do with Yang, Blake and Weiss?"

Ruby nodded. "I have a plan, at least." She looked down on the floor, moving her legs a bit. "I'm so going to need cookies after this." She sighed, only to run towards the rest of RWBY, who became two pairs and hid. Jaune ran with Pyrrha, hiding towards the front, only to hear the loud screams of the Nevermore perched on the tower ahead of them.

"Nightstalker incoming! Everyone run!"

 ** _-BOSS(ES)-_**

 ** _METAMORPHOSED NEVERMORE & METAMORPHOSED DEATHSTALKER_**

 ** _M-Deathstalker: LVL 44_**

 ** _M-Nevermore: LVL 42_**

 ** _-BOSS(ES)-_**

At that, all eight individuals ran. Nora was firing at the Nevermore, giving a fortunate strike into its eyes. The screech was loud, the bangs were horrendous, and it kept getting worse from there.

 _[Run towards the bridge!]_

 _'I know what I'm doing. Game, don't send me notifications until this boss fight ends.'_

At that, the notifications stopped. Jaune dashed to the bridge itself, noticing the sounds of steps following him. To his fright, the Nevermore _flew through_ the bridge, collapsing it into two pieces. The middle part was completely gone, disappearing into the white depths beneath them.

"Nora! Slam your hammer into the bridge!"

"Aye, aye, captain!" Nora flew into the air and hurtled her hammer into the floor, severing the area they were on into two. From there, the two flipped over, landing on the opposite side of the bridge.

"NORA, SMASH!" Nora flipped into the air, giving a hard strike against the Deathstalker's head.

 _[WEAPON SWITCH: ROSE'S THORN!]_

Wielding his rapier, Jaune lunged forward, digging the blade into one of the Deathstalker's eyes. The Deathstalker screamed; it tried to spin around and swipe at random spots to get him off. Jaune swiped at the tail; gazing at the three as he did so. The tail became partially disconnected - black blood dripped from the cut on its tail.

"Blake, can you go to Ruby's side and help them take down the Nevermore? They'll need the help." Blake nodded, jumping down the bridge and swinging through the area with her weapon. A few moments later, Blake was fighting with the Nevermore, giving it continuous slashes as pieces of the bridge collapsed around everyone.

The Nevermore crashed into the building; the Deathstalker was moving backwards, only for Jaune to hold its stinger up and look at Ren. Ren nodded, using StormFlower to fire hails of bullets at the tail, which was ripped off from the base. They tried to cover their ears but the screams were too loud, too ferocious to be forgotten.

"Nora, nail it!"

"Heads up!"

At that, Nora swung Magnhild to the ground, a blast was heard afterwards. With a leap onto Pyrrha's shield, she launched into the air with a little giggle. Nora hurtled downwards, grating the stinger into the Deathstalker's head with Magnhild. Her ferocity was unparalleled; she kept hitting the stinger into its skull repeatedly before jumping off as the bridge collapsed.

 _ **[̷M̶e̷t̵a̶m̷o̷r̸p̸h̵o̶s̸e̴d̷ ̵D̵e̶a̴t̵h̸s̴t̵a̴l̵k̷e̷r̶ ̵h̵a̷s̶ ̷b̵e̷e̵n̵ ̶d̵e̵f̴e̸a̵t̵e̶d̷!̴]̵**_

 _ **̴[̸W̷A̸R̸N̴I̴N̴G̷:̴ ̷T̵h̴e̸ ̸M̸e̷t̷a̶m̷o̸r̷p̸h̷o̴s̵e̷d̸ ̶N̶e̷v̸e̴r̷m̴o̸r̷e̸ ̸i̶s̷ ̴G̵̵̶L̵̶̸I̷̸̸T̶̷̸C̶̷̴H̷̸̵I̴̶̷N̸̷̴G̴̴̸!̵̶̸]̶̵̷**_

 _'Wait, what?!'_

At that moment, the Nevermore stopped moving. It flew to the top of the hills; gazing down at the eight individuals who stood confused. A moment later, it gave out a gargle; its body convulsed before it began to melt.

 _Drip. Drip. Drip._

Some of its body melted; its liquids travelling down the hill before revealing its eyes. One of the eyes were red, but the other had become a series of murky colours. The eye kept flashing a beam of dark red, shining across the area with an increasingly bright tone of colour. The white exoskeleton was simply melting into liquid; slowly leaking off its face.

When the exoskeleton was completely melting, it became something horrible.

The wings became massive arms, with massive claws. If anyone was told that it was a Nevermore; many would disagree judging on the sight of it. The only hint that suggested it was a Nevermore was the arch of its face - where its beak used to be.

 ** _-BOSS FIGHT-_**

 ** _[Mutated Nevermore]_**

 ** _[LVL: 48]_**

 ** _-BOSS FIGHT-_**

"Everyone, scatter!"

 _'Well,_ looks _like this is going to be one hell of a fight.'_

Then, the melting beast screamed to the skies above.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ The Useful Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _Level: 24_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer_**

 ** _HP: 2400/2400_**

 ** _MP: 2400/2400_**

 ** _SP: 2400/2400_**

 ** _EXP: 2,430/7,640_**

 ** _Location: Beacon Academy_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 25/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 52/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 30/100_**

 ** _-Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 28 [37]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 30 [38]_**

 ** _Vitality: 30 [34]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 31 [33]_**

 ** _Agility: 32 [32]_**

 ** _Stat Points: 5_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

-S-


	8. 08 - Megalomaniac

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 ** _"Life lets you hide yourself from others, but death will always force you to show the world who you really are."_**

* * *

 _"Wait, why are you giving me a rapier and a revolver? They're rather... strange options for combat." Jaune said with uncertainty._

 _"Mm-hmm," Juniper hummed. "It is a strange option, but they're Dad's old weapons. These weapons are your last resort; only use the revolver as a means to kill."_

 _"How will I be able to fight with a rapier if I'm untrained?"_

 _"Ah, isn't that the number one question?" Juniper's smile developed into a smirk. "Well, that's why I'm here."_

 _"Are you going to be sadistic?"_

 _Juniper laughed. "Probably."_

 _His stomach dropped. "Fuck."_

 _Why couldn't he be a civilian?_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Emerald Forest_

"Ren, Pyrrha, Nora, remain as backup. Everyone else, take down the Nevermore as I distract it."

After the screech, Jaune sprung forward. He stabbed his rapier into the ground for momentum; ripped it out of the gravel and jumped over the bridge. With a grunt, he dashed ahead, activating _[Aura Adrenaline],_ leaping over a melting feather afterwards. Team RWBY were ascending the tower; whilst the rest of Team JNPR were dealing with melting Grimm by the bowels of the cliff.

 _'It summons the Grimm, just like the Grimm Dragon. How does that work, and why?'_

Then, he stabbed the rapier into the tower, and rushing up the tower. He used his aura to keep his balance; before leaping on top of the tower.

At that, the beast, no, _thing,_ stared at him. It narrowed its eyes; screaming at the skies above.

 **[Aura: 2200/2400.]**

 _'God dammit, it takes that much aura to do that?'_

He dodged a blob of black, it ended up exploding near him a few seconds later. He rolled to his right, doing a full spin, and looked at the rest of Team JNPR below. Noticing that they were slowly blasting through the Grimm; he dropped down below. He jumped from broken stone to falling blocks - noting the slowly growing plants around the building as the area fell.

He landed on top of a Beowolf, and he lunged Crocea Mors into the back of its head multiple times, noting the Grimm fading away afterwards. Then, there was a series of gargantuan green limbs by the side, revealing a Grimm that was covered by something strange.

 _ **[New Grimm. It seems to be a rat infused with a plant? This doesn't happen normally, Mr Arc.]**_

 _'No shit, Game. No shit!'_

At that, Jaune Arc parried an Ursa, quickly crippling the beast and slamming it in the chest with his shield. At a moments notice, he slashed a block of concrete, noticing it fall on the Ursa's head. At that, he ran towards the rest of JNPR, standing in the front alongside Pyrrha.

"Guys, do we have any plans?" He slashed at the tail of the new Grimm before them.

Ren nodded, before turning to Pyrrha, who nodded too. "We have a plan. We need to bring it and the Nevermore to the middle of the building, so the plants can grow over it to form a cage." Jaune nodded, stepping in front of the rest with his shield. At that, Team JNPR jumped through the area, running from the massive plant beast that growled. Then, it fired purple drills.

"Guys, go ahead! I'll block the drills." Afterwards, Jaune lifted his shield, and blocked the drills. He slashed at some of the drills, only to jump back at the sight of purple gas enveloping the broken bridge. Then, he dashed across the remnants of the bridge, running towards the middle of the collapsed tower. With a grip on the concrete, he stood up, facing various roots that were growing across the walls.

"Everyone, up the building. Now!" Pyrrha swung upwards, jumping from platform to platform. Nora grabbed onto Ren, the duo were firing downwards to build momentum. Meanwhile, Jaune was running up the tower with _[Aura Adrenaline]_ , grunting as he used tons of aura.

 **[Aura: 1600/2400]**

With that, Jaune scaled the rest of the tower, swerving through roots that grew across the floor. At that, JNPR landed on top of the tower, raising their guard at the sight of the Grimm from before. Attempting to trap both Grimm into the tower wasn't an option, since it was filled with black roots. Ren reloaded StormFlower, whilst Nora gave a grin at the sight of it.

"Let's break some legs, guys."

At that, Nora rushed towards the beast, slamming her hammer into the top of its head. She swerved through various attacks, black roots sprouted from its body every time it lunged. With that, the rest of Team JNPR ran towards it, with Ren at the rear. Ren shot at the roots that kept growing; causing those roots to retract down the building.

A few seconds later, those roots would reach upwards again. Every time, one root would slam into the top of the tower, causing the very platform to rumble. With that, Ren fired a flurry of bullets, whilst Pyrrha fired bullet after bullet at the Grimm before them. It tripped. Jaune rushed ahead, bashed it in the face with its shield, twisted it around, sending it down to the bridge below.

Slam! At that, the Nevermore spouted blobs of boiling black! JNPR jumped from area to area, slowly moving through the area. A blob landed dangerously close to Jaune, almost melting the armour from his leg. He grit his teeth, seeing the looks of concern. "I'm fine, I'm fine!" He grit his teeth, frustrated from how close that blob was.

Then, the danger became real.

At that, Jaune began to notice that the glitching was appearing.

 **[Status: Glitching! The blob is changing your body!]**

"Guys, keep yourselves away. My semblance is activating!" At that, Jaune began to rush ahead, slowly showing signs of glitching. His body would phase in and out, split itself before appear at another location. At that, the rest of Team JNPR ran ahead, reuniting with most of Team RWBY as the Nevermore melted down to the ground, becoming a gargantuan blob. Ruby was descending from the cliff, slamming her scythe into its head, dragging it down onto the ground with a loud bang!

Then, Ruby ran, jumping through the front of the bridge as the area behind her collapsed. It became a bastion of fire; doused by flames that roared across the platform. With a pitiful wail, the Nevermore became nothing more than black sludge, simply melting off of the bridge afterwards.

 **[Status: Normal. The blob is gone.]**

After that, Jaune felt weak. His eyes glowed for a moment, only to simmer down as the Nevermore faded into the dark catacombs below.

 _'What the hell was that thing? How did it activate my semblance?_ '

He noted that the shapes of glitching colours returned. They flew from where the Nevermore descended, fading into nothing at a certain distance.

Ruby stood there in the silence. "Well, that was..."

"Unusual." Ren nodded.

"Yes, very, very unusual." Blake just stood there. She looked around the area with caution, before looking at her hands. "Did everyone just see Ruby jump from a cliff, bash a Nevermore into the bridge, and jump over a series of collapsing stones through a bastion of fire?"

Yang chuckled. "Well, that is certainly a way with words but..."

"Yes, I believe we did." Weiss dusted her dress, looking around the area. "Anyway, let's get out of here, we need to get back to Beacon."

"Wait, wait, shouldn't we rest? I mean, we literally just fought various abominations at once..." Jaune sighed, dusting his cracked armour. "I forgot how many times we almost died during that fight."

A few moments later, things went back to normal. Ruby was making karate moves out of nowhere, talking about the fight, whilst Pyrrha looked at Jaune in thought.

Jaune had a thoughtful look on his face, looking back at the tower as they left the forest. _'Just what was that thing from before, on the tower? Some sort of plant/rat hybrid Grimm?'_

"Wait, then, if Ruby went through a bastion of fire, how come she isn't fired up yet?"

A series of groans was the only answer Jaune had, as well as a few chuckles from Yang.

"Arc, please, never make a pun again."

"Right, Weiss."

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part II_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _'Going in a mask to a suspicious place, hope Cinder Fall doesn't melt my face.'_

Of course, Jaune Arc was quietly whistling. It was times like these when he did need the _[Gamer's Mind]_. To be frank, Jaune didn't know if he could bring himself to do this without the _[Gamer's Mind]_ , no matter his level.

 _'Ah, I forgot to check my stats.'_

 _\- STATUS -_

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 28_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _BONUS: Nothing. You no longer have the 3x EXP bonus._**

 ** _HP: 2800/2800_**

 ** _MP: 2800/2800_**

 ** _SP: 2800/2800_**

 ** _EXP: 6,875/12,055_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 7/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 89/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 5/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 33 [41]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 32 [40]_**

 ** _Vitality: 35 [39]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 31 [33]_**

 ** _Agility: 40 [40]_**

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**

 _\- STATUS -_

 _'With three of my stats in the 40s, I wonder if you get perks in this system. I'll figure it out later.'_

At that, Jaune walked towards the same warehouse from before.

-X-

 ** _Blacksmith (Passive Skill) [Unlocked], Level: 23 - 37%._**

 ** _A skill scaling your capabilities as a blacksmith; as the level increases - the quality of your crafts increase. The quality and the level values are proportional._**

 ** _-_** X-

 _'Oh, right! I use this place for my blacksmith activities, which is why I haven't levelled up in a while.'_

At that, he gave the door a few quiet knocks, which opened after a few moments. It was Roman Torchwick. The man gave a small grin. Surprisingly, he was tired, with bags under his eyes and without a cigar in sight. "Hey, kid." He sighed. "Sorry, the boss is being a bitch. Delivering the package to her is going to be a pain."

"Let me guess, you messed up, and she's gone mad over it?"

"Pretty much." He sighed, before shouting. "Neo! Can you get my cigar? We have the delivery kid from before with us!"

 _'Oh shit, it's Neo.'_

 _'[Gamer's Mind].'_

As if on cue, Neo showed up with a cheeky grin on her face. Of course, Jaune noticed Neapolitan ice-cream in the back of the room. Fortunately, they were the only ones present. Hopefully. Roman Torchwick rolled his eyes at the sight of ice-cream, lighting the cigar he was given afterwards. "So, the bitch herself was interested."

Jaune had a thoughtful look on his face under his mask; before answering quietly. "I suspect that means I'm fucked."

Roman chuckled. "You are, kid. Of all the people, you just had to be interesting to her." He shrugged, before looking outside in thought, almost as if he was nostalgic. "No amount of spirit isn't going to save you; you're fucked."

"And if I stop delivering the packages?"

"You can try, but I wouldn't recommend it. The last animal to do so ended up ruined."

Neo was merely eating her ice-cream with a spoon, listening to the conversation thoughtfully. It was curious. Not many faced Cinder Fall and managed to keep composed. She was dangerous, more dangerous than even her.

Jaune looked at the storage room in the back. "As for the Atlas equipment?"

Roman shrugged. "It's your call, I don't really care about those useless things." He rolled his eyes at Jaune's pause. "What, you still think that weapons are the best things to be invented?"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Yes, I still find them interesting-" He paused, "I'll deal with them later. I'll go find the boss."

After that, Jaune walked through a series of halls, comprised of short but sophisticated decorations. There were a few podiums depicting flames, but there was nothing else that stuck out. When things didn't stick out, it meant something else. Something different. On Earth, that meant you had to focus.

After all, you didn't want anyone to surprise you-

"Rat."

At that, he stopped, and turned. Holding his breath; turning to see what would happen next. Would she kill him? Would she burn him? What would she do, what if? Ifs were a massive part of this situation; what if he did the wrong thing? What if he did the right thing? He didn't know, and he was going to find out.

"Boss." He nodded, "Here's the package of dust."

She nodded, slowly walking towards him, the quiet clicks of her heels making the quiet hall seem loud. The pang in his chest, the power to be liberating - to be free, that was what he wanted for so long. But, at least, the two of them got to share in that freedom. But, God, this was a woman you couldn't mess with.

If it weren't for _[Gamer's Mind]_ , he would've died from saying the wrong thing.

At that, she grabbed the package, and nodded at Mercury. Mercury had a small smirk on his face; simply grabbing the package from Jaune and walking out with an irritated Emerald. Of course, there was something wrong. _'Oh lord, looks like Cinder's going to do something.'_

As Jaune turned around, slowly treading towards the exit, Cinder spoke. "Rat, could you stay for a few moments?"

 _'What is she doing?'_

Jaune, or Rat, stood there in the silence. He stood there; expecting her to speak, expecting something to happen. After a few seconds of deliberation, he spoke. "Of course," He paused, "Pardon my rudeness, boss, but why do you want me to stay?" He turned his face to the side, before looking back at a smirking Cinder Fall.

Cinder stood, looking at him, straight in the eye. "You're forgiven," She says dismissively, waving one of her hands, "I want you to stay because I need you to do another job for me."

 _'What job?'_

Perhaps, this was the thing, really. Whatever Cinder ordered him to do - Jaune couldn't sabotage it unless it meant putting his friends in danger. Was this a test? A test for his loyalty, perhaps? It could give him a chance to get close to Cinder, and change some of the events, but to what cost?

Could it be something more?

 _ **[QUEST: "Fallen One"]**_

 _ **[By accomplishing the deliveries without being wiped out, you have become Cinder Fall's lackey. Get her interest, confidence, and loyalty, then you could turn her away from the path she has sworn herself to.]**_

 _ **[SUCCESS: 500,000 EXP, closeness with Cinder Fall increased, +1 partner, quest unlock.**_

 _ **[FAILURE: Death, mayhem, destruction, madness, quest unlock.]**_

 _'Well, damn. I have a lot of work ahead of me.'_

"Careful, Rat." She gave a small smirk, "Any impatient boss would have admonished you by now."

He sighed. "My apologies, boss." Then, within his mask, he frowned. "What is the goal?"

 _ **[QUEST: "Anti-Villain"]**_

 _ **[Cinder Fall would like you to take on a more important job: work along with the White Fang during their distribution shifts and make sure nobody stops the distribution shifts. However, you are expected to give results, for you have garnered the interest of Roman Torchwick.]**_

 _ **[SUCCESS: Increased closeness to Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai. Unlocks more quests from the Anti-Hero questline.] [FAILURE: Decreases closeness to Cinder Fall, Mercury Black, and Emerald Sustrai. Quests from the story-line are locked until you succeed.]**_

 _ **[ACCEPT/REFUSE]**_

He didn't want to do this, he really didn't. This was wrong. Working for a terrorist organisation that wanted noting more than the decimation of humanity was completely against his morals. But, if he succeeded with this...

Many lives could be saved. He hated this; he didn't want to do this.

But, he had to.

 _'Accept.'_

"Sure, I'll pull it off."

Gold eyes locked with Jaune's mask, giving a vicious smirk afterwards. "Very well." She nodded. "I believe working with the White Fang will be difficult, considering your human nature," She rolled her eyes, muttering something quietly, "But, I expect you to succeed. There was a reason why Roman, despite his nature, was intrigued."

She paused.

"Don't disappoint me, Rat."

From that moment, Cinder seemed to disappear, leaving the hall hollow, except for him. Jaune paused in the silence; looking at the rooftops above. But, nobody came. After that, Jaune turned, seeming looking around in caution. Every small noise seemed to make him move a bit, before pausing. Eventually, all that was heard was the fading sound of taps.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part III_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _'God, I need my coffee.'_

There was nothing more satisfying, really. Coffee, coffee, coffee. It was bizarre to be in a school; it was peculiar when he ended up in a hall _filled_ with food. Oh, and coffee, too. Jaune yawned, stretching his arms, rubbing his eyes as he checked the time.

 _-W-_

 _Weather: Raining & Cloudy_

 _Time: 7:00AM_

 _-W-_

Jaune sat down on one of the seats, looking at the windows. He heard the soft rain patting on the windows, the quiet storm that refused to not shout out once in a while; the raindrops slipping down the glass with a soft drop.

"You're up early."

Jaune nodded. "It's a habit that's hard to break." Quietly, he chuckled. "Though, I'm surprised you're up so early, Pyrrha." Pyrrha gave a small smile; taking a small sip from her cup of warm chocolate. She wiped the chocolate off her mouth with a wiper, making Jaune sigh. "Sorry about initiation, I should've been responsible, the glitching could've stopped if I did something..."

Pyrrha sighed. "Jaune, it's fine. You don't need to apologise; there was no way we could've known about it."

 _'But that's the thing, Pyrrha. I DID know that something would go wrong, and I did nothing about it...'_

Jaune shrugged. "Anyway, what do you want to do for the next two hours? Talk, have a drinking contest, or a game of chess?" Pyrrha looked away in thought, before speaking. "How about chess?"

Then, Jaune got a chess board out of his bag, placing the pieces over the board. "So, how are you finding Beacon?"

Pyrrha paused; before eliminating a pawn with her knight. "I suppose it's been interesting," She sighed, "Though I'm worried that people will recognise me not as Pyrrha but as..."

"Pyrrha Nikos, the champion." Jaune softly stated, before eliminating a bishop with a rook. "Pyrrha, there'll always be people who see you as the champion, no matter what." She nodded, moving a pawn diagonally to a rook, Jaune moved the rook out of the way. "We don't see you in that way, though. Ren, Nora and I will always see you as Pyrrha, not the champion."

"We're your friends, Pyrrha. Well, if you think of us as that..." Jaune stated, with great reluctance.

"Yes," Pyrrha gave a smile, "We're friends."

 **[Pyrrha, Nora, and Ren have been added to your Friends List!]**

Then, she took down Jaune's Queen, making Jaune chuckle at the sight.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

* * *

 ** _Coledon12:_** I mean, I always found it strange how normal canon characters only have aura, yet the Gamer would have Aura & Mana. There's a few hints over why he glitches.

 ** _garooar:_** Yeah, I pretty much agree at this point. It's rather annoying to read; but I'm thinking about changing the formatting a bit to make it easier for reading, so there's that. I'll definitely do something about it.

 ** _Guest:_** You know, I'm flattered that you would give me such an deep review about this, so first off, thanks for that. Formatting a Gamer!fic is pretty much a main issue for me; which I have ideas to fix (if you look carefully in this chapter, you'll notice the formatting is a bit different) and yeah, it does make the flow of the scene painful. I believe garooar pretty much explained why the format was a problem.

I suppose, in a sense, the pacing is awkward. It could be smoother, but it isn't a major issue at the moment. I'll see if I can do anything about the pacing, but I believe I'm doing better now. As for the OC, it's rather difficult to care for an OC. But, here's the thing, most people read fics to see how canon characters react to different settings; so it's more difficult for the OC to be something more.

 _ **BlazinHothead:**_ Now, about that, there's something interesting going down over why that happened. There's a few hints; some are obvious and others are rather subtle. I mean, even Jaune notes that there's something up about that.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews, guys! It's good to see that you guys are reading ahead and giving advice; it's things like these that make fanfics better.

Cheers!

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 28_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _BONUS: Nothing. You no longer have the 3x EXP bonus._**

 ** _HP: 2800/2800_**

 ** _MP: 2800/2800_**

 ** _SP: 2800/2800_**

 ** _EXP: 6,875/12,055_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 7/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 89/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 5/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 33 [41]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 32 [40]_**

 ** _Vitality: 35 [39]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 31 [33]_**

 ** _Agility: 40 [40]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	9. 09 - Being A Criminal For Dummies

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 _ **"A person who has lost everything, and gained something afterwards, becomes the most horrific of monsters to keep it."**_

* * *

 _"Well done, well done!" Juniper laughed._

 _Jaune gave a small smile, watching the Grimm dissolve as he tightened the grip on his rapier._

 _"Thanks, Jun."_

 _Juniper's smile widened._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Beacon Rooftops_

 _'I don't understand why people aren't grateful. Why do they want more power, more fame, more of everything?'_

Well, he became grateful for everything, really. At this point, he thought that anything could happen. One moment, you'd be doing your usual routine, and the next you could have anything horrible happen to you. If anything, being ungrateful for the things he had became the _last_ thing on his mind. Who knew when this'd be the last time he'd see this place, or anything at all?

Maybe that's why he was so grateful. He didn't know when anything terrible would happen.

It just happens.

So, sitting down and watching the area around him became a hobby. Nobody noticed it and he didn't want to talk about how he glossed over places all the time. They'd feel it was strange, and curious. Curious peers were an issue that he didn't want to deal with, and the second type of issue would be those who wanted to be friends with him. They'd be people who would need protection, guidance, and understanding.

Those three things? They bring in many issues, awkward silences, and uncomfortable situations. Again, he wasn't the kind of person who'd open up to many, let alone trust them.

He sighed; gazing at the giant screen.

 _ **[QUEST: "The Power Of Peace"]**_

 _ **[Description: Roman Torchwick, considered as one of Cinder's weakest tools, is far stronger than you. Yang is stronger than you.]**_

 _ **[Ruby Rose can be a tough fight. All of them have plagues that bothered them; but they're stronger because they faced them.]**_

 _ **[But, within your heart, you realise that Gamer's Mind can't erase the plagues that bother you - this weakness of mind, spirit, and strength must be faced.]**_

 _ **[OBJECTIVE A: Make peace with your past and move on.]**_

 _ **[Bonus Objective: Practise drawing - increase it to around LVL 30/40. Draw a picture of them to make sure that you never forget them.]**_

 _ **[REWARDS(S): None. No reward can replace a family.]**_

 _ **[Succeed: The Art Of Balance (Stage I) is unlocked.]**_

 _ **[Failure: Your past plagues you for the rest of your life; unless you attempt this quest again and succeed.]**_

 ** _[ACCEPTED.]_**

 _'This quest. It's just an absolute slap in the face.'_ Perhaps, he was being a bit disparaging with this, but how could he just move on? They were family, people who loved him, and he loved them. When it came down to it, was he a coward? Yes.

Was he the kind of person who'd abandon his loved ones? No.

He could never bring himself to abandon his family - no one could force him to leave them.

Yes, people could argue that he was being a coward, that he should be brave when it comes to facing down Cinder and her allies; but he'd be dead if he became brave in Cinder's presence. In _Neo's_ presence, the same girl who is nothing compared to Raven, who is like a speck of dust to _Salem_. Perhaps, if he was stronger, he'd be different. But, this wasn't the case.

For that reason, this quest was such a slap in the face. How could he forget about them? It expected him, of all people, to simply forget about people he had known for his entire life. Or rather, his previous life? It was still confusing. He died, but he came back, and now he was in such a mess of a situation...

Jaune sighed.

 _'That's why I worry about making friends,'_ He pauses, _'I'd put them into harm's way; they'd get hurt or even worse. It's best that I don't get too close to many people or a megalomaniac will kill them all with her "evil" plans. Honestly, remind me of Cinder's motivation, again?'_

"Jaune, are you alright? You seem rather... not okay." With that, he turned, revealing Ruby. Curiously, there was a solemn look on her face, as she walked to his side and gazed at the scenery.

"Ruby, is that you?" At the sight of Ruby, he mulled, only to speak: "I suspect you've had an argument with Weiss, and wanted to talk?"

"Kinda," Ruby sighed, "I guess. I was wondering about being a leader, since Weiss thinks I'm childish..."

Jaune blinked. "Ruby, when it comes down to it, nobody has a clear idea of what a good leader is." He sighed, looking away from her. "I don't know; and it's clear that you don't have the brightest of ideas about it. Maybe, that's why Ozpin chose us?"

 _'Well, it would make sense. Ruby, by all accounts, shouldn't have been leader. She's too childish, too naive, too innocent...'_

 _'But, here's the thing, it gives her the most potential to grow as a leader. So, why does Ozpin think I need to grow as a person?'_

"I suppose that does makes sense," She paused, "Though, something else was on my mind, actually."

"Oh, and what would that be? Are my jokes getting too annoying?"

Ruby chuckled. "No, silly." Then, after a few seconds, she looked away. "I'm afraid that I won't be a good leader."

 _'That makes sense.'_

After that, Jaune sighed: "Look, Ruby," He paused, whispering quietly, "It's your first day. How can you be a good leader when you haven't established a good connection with your teammates? When you do not have their faith and trust?" Again, he pauses, staring at the sunset and spoke within the silence, "Truth be told, nobody is ever ready to lead, ever. Not Weiss, not you, not even Yang." He chuckled, then spoke, "Definitely not me."

"Jaune, you're making that face again."

"What face?"

"Well..." She looked uncomfortable, waving her hands in a circular motion, only to speak: "That kind of face you make when you seem sad, almost as if you're remembering something."

 _'Oh fuck, I forgot that Ruby can be perceptive at times. I need to be careful with her.'_

Jaune waves one of his hands at her, bringing a small smile on his face: "Oh, it's fine." He chuckled, looking away in thought, "I'm just thinking over a few things; nothing important. Say, do you want to talk about weapons?"

"Jaune, I'm your friend, we can talk to each other about why we're upset."

"Fine, fine!" He sighed. "I just miss my family."

Ruby put a hand on Jaune's shoulder; patting it slowly. "Same here. It's only been a day and I already miss living with my dad! It's just strange not seeing him take care of the flowers, or crack puns with Yang, you know? At least, we'll see them again, right?" Jaune nodded slowly, looking away, before letting a small smile appear on his face.

"Yeah, I know."

After that, it was just silence. It wasn't an uncomfortable silence at all, actually. It was pleasant. Pleasant, and something enjoyable for the two of them. They were just two friends, sitting on the same bench, two leaders mulling over the future and what lies in store.

It was soothing.

"Hey, Ruby?"

"Yes, Jaune?"

"Thanks."

He thought back to the drawings; before looking at the stats of his drawing skill.

-SK-

 ** _Skill: Drawing_**

 ** _Description: One of the many forms of visual art. The user uses a variety of drawing instruments to mark paper or a substitute._**

 ** _40% Efficiency + Skill in Drawing/40% More Appealing._**

 ** _LVL: 10_**

-SK-

 _'I really do miss you guys.'_

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Vale's Port_

 _The White Fang_

Seeing the White Fang on a screen was nothing, but seeing them in real life was making him queasy.

Vale's Port was a gargantuan structure that spanned for quite a bit, its details highlighted by the colourful skies, seemingly breathing life into the area around it. Its colours, looks, shine and fresh air had him wondering why it wasn't used as a tourist attraction. Then again, it's a port. A measly port.

"Alright, animals. Let's get this over with, don't want our bosses upset, right?" Roman Torchwick had spoken, with a small smirk on his face, it grew when the White Fang seemed to be negatively responding to him, acting as if he was horrible.

In a sense, he was horrible.

He was working with a man who would take part in a terrorist attack _just_ to survive. Perhaps, Roman was the most frightening out of RWBY's enemies. Everyone had a goal, everyone had a malicious motive, every single antagonist had a some sort of twisted reason to fight and it was complicated and emotional.

Roman just wanted to survive. Roman must've figured that the world didn't care about spirit or any heroes. That'd explain why he put such a high priority on survival, no matter what happened.

So, what was more frightening? A person who has nothing to lose or a person who has everything to lose?

A few moments later, Roman Torchwick walked towards Jaune, giving a chuckle after looking back. Then, he turned. "So, kid, I heard Cinder told you about this whole operation with the White Fang?"

After a few seconds, Jaune nodded. Then, Roman spoke quietly. "About that, I'm going to give you an assignment."

 _'Fuck. I know where this is going.'_

It wasn't the fact that Roman was giving him an assignment to do that was worrying. No, it was the fact that it was an assignment given during an operation like this one. Any mistakes would incur issues with the White Fang, and he could be killed because of it. Burned to death? Executed? Too many possibilities.

But, what worried him was the serious look on Roman's face.

"Kid, I'll get this straight." He pauses, continuing to speak a moment later, "Your mission is to rob Dust Till' Dawn, distract any police units, and make sure that the police start to not focus on figuring me out. After you've done your job, come back here with the dust, and that'll prove that you're not the average mook."

 ** _[QUEST: "The Price We Pay"]_**

 ** _[Roman Torchwick wants you to rob Dust Till' Dawn, distract any dispatched police units, and make sure that the police start to stop focusing on Roman Torchwick and the White Fang.]_**

 ** _[REWARDS: 7,000 EXP; New Title; Quest Line Continuation; etc.]_**

 ** _[HIDDEN OBJECTIVES CAN BE ACHIEVED IN THIS QUEST.]_**

 _'Accept.'_

Roman Torchwick nods, brandishing a pair of daggers and a revolver, placing them into Jaune's hands. "Using the same weapons repeatedly would be idiotic; people would figure you out instantly." Then, Jaune nods, putting the weapons in his pockets.

"Go."

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~ TFNF ~_**

 ** _Part III_**

* * *

 _Vale_

Jaune traversed the roofs, looking behind him to check for any followers. He didn't want a repeat of what happened with Yang and Ruby. Regardless, he stopped still, gazing at the shops below, with only small groups of people surrounding the area. Then, he noticed the small shop from before,and the shopkeeper was glancing around.

 _'Not surprising, considering what happened. Alright, let's begin.'_

Then, Jaune travelled down the building, getting through the stairs at a reasonably quick pace. Afterwards, he treads to the shop with weapons in his pockets. He breathed in deeply; breathing out a moment later. Treading into the shop, he notices that there are no people around, with the shopkeeper not in sight.

Jaune spots cameras in the shop, and a few seconds later, there are loud noises and fizzing from those cameras. The camera were smashed, ruined by the bullets that penetrated their exteriors. He reloads the revolver, looks around, and then reaches for the dust.

"I'd recommend you put that mask down, and get out of here."

Jaune stood silently, feeling a gun pressing into the back of his head. He feels uncomfortable, almost a heavy weight press onto his stomach, as if he was feeling anxious. For a moment, he hesitates to speak.

"Sir, it's just a mask."

"Is that so? Last time someone said that, they ended up stealing my dust."

 _'Oh shit, oh fuck. What do I do?'_

 _'No, stop thinking like this, Jaune. You NEED to do this for everyone's sake.'_

"Now, put your hands up, and I'll call the police-"

Then, Jaune shakes his head.

"I don't think we'll be seeing the police today, sir."

"What-?"

At that, he disappears, taking the gun from his hand and slamming it into the man's chest. The man is pushed back from the force; his body slammed through various pieces of glass that break. The glass collapses, spilling shards on the floor, with only the dust remaining. Jaune stands there in silence, looking at his hands, before looking at the crystals.

He could think about his actions later on, but he needed to finish this mission.

Jaune retrieves the crystals, putting them into a bag. Then, he looks at the unconscious man. He grabs the man's hand, presses it against the scroll, unlocking it. By then, he's already made the call, and he ends the call once everything's been sorted.

After that, he scales the building. It felt rough, as if the material was grating itself against his skin, giving an annoying sensation. He looks around, noticing an ambulance driving up towards the building. He jumps. To his astonishment, he managed to jump from the roof of the building to another, even if it was with _[Aura Adrenaline]_.

 _ **[MP: 2780/2800.]**_

He felt it. It was a feeling of guilt, of anger, for what he had to do. He didn't want to do this; he never wanted to hurt the man who'd been robbed by Roman Torchwick. He never wanted to run on the rooftops as a criminal, he never wanted to run from the law when he was younger. So, why now?

 _'Of course,'_ Jaune thought with a bitter look on his face, _'in Remnant, only the strong survive.'_

He runs from roof to roof; only to realise that there were already a few police cars following him. The sirens were loud, almost as if they were screeching in his ears, making him grunt in exasperation. _'Shit, I'm going to have to fight them. They'll chase me down to Vale's Port if I keep running.'_

He descends. He climbs down from the roof, simply swerving through areas, acrobatically descending down to the ground. He gazes at a squad of police officers, who stood with solemn looks on their faces.

 _'Well, looks like I'm in for a fight, I suppose..'_

"Put your weapons down, and lift your hands above your head."

 _'I just hope to god that I don't kill or maim any of them.'_

Then, he runs around the area, using _[Aura Adrenaline]_.

Jaune fired a hail of bullets from his revolver, striking various police officers who were sent down to the ground. Then, he rushes into the fray, with two daggers brandished in his hands. A continuation of slashes are blocked by one of the police officers, feeling pain from getting kicked in the face. Jaune grunts.

"You know, I believe I'd appreciate it if-!" He blocks various punches, and grabs the man's arm, _swinging_ him around. A second later, there are a couple of officers sprawled on the ground, some of them quickly recovering and reloading at an admirable pace. Jaune grabs the man, putting a dagger in front of the man's throat, and glares at the rest of the officers.

"I'm not in a good mood; I've already ruined an old man's day and I _need_ to get back. Drop your weapons, and I'll spare this man."

 _'Please fall for it, dammit.'_

It is only silent after that. Each side refuses to budge; staring at the other within silence. Jaune hesitates.

Then, the man he was holding escapes his grip, slashing at his mask with a knife. The mask gives a sound of cracking, its pieces shook slowly in recoil. Barely, the blade missed his face, to the point where it almost cut his skin. But, he didn't care.

The mask was cracking!

 _'SHIT! I need to get out of here!'_

Jaune activates _[Aura Adrenaline]_ , and runs as quick as possible. He moves in random directions, knowing that the police will open fire at his sudden movement. He fled. He keeps running and running in hopes that they'll stop chasing him, that they'll forget about trying to find him.

But, they never stop. Jaune doesn't relent; he manages to get to Vale's Port on time.

At that point, Jaune couldn't be any more relieved to see Roman.

He didn't bother to check the status of his quest.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Part IV_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _The Arena Of Combat_

 _Professor Goodwitch's Class_

The arena was an intriguing place, without doubt. Despite its ordinary appearance and normal systems, it seemed to possess an intricate show of patterns, crossing amongst the area with a few flashes from the lights above. He watched, gazing at two students fighting each other. _'They fight rather cleanly, for huntsman.'_ As those thoughts came to mind, he frowned.

 _'Goddammit, I can't believe I actually did what I did. I bet Torchwick's happy knowing that the police are distracted, now.'_ Jaune's face contorts into a frown, only to fade into a smile shortly.

Regardless, Jaune sat quietly. His teammates seemed to be watching intently, as well as Nora, who commentated the fight at a quick pace. Various people amongst the crowd heard her, and it seemed that the two fighters were paying close attention to each other, and her comments in case she mentioned anything useful.

After that, one individual lost, they shook hands politely and stood there. After that, the two seemed to chuckle, and walked off the stage after Professor Goodwitch analysed their fighting styles.

Meanwhile, he could hear people conversing.

"Did you hear about how somebody robbed one of the shops, attacked the shopkeeper and the police? It was atrocious."

"Who would do such a thing?"

"I don't know, probably some worthless idiot who thought it was justified."

Jaune gripped the arm of his chair tightly, but let go, and sighed.

Meanwhile, Ruby gave a concerned glance at Jaune, only to begin looking at the arena a moment later.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

* * *

 ** _TheSetupMage:_** I think Volume 4/5's Cinder Fall is interesting; but I'm still hoping that Cinder doesn't be that kind of antagonist who gets betrayed for the sake of it. That'd be annoying. At least we have an interesting Cinder now, I guess.

 ** _Zentari2238:_** I don't believe that Gamer's Mind should be used for drama, it's just there to stop the player from depending on the Gamer's Mind for everything. Gamer's Mind can be something interesting, but it definitely won't be used as a crutch, so don't worry about it.

 _Thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _Level: 29_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer_**

 ** _HP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _MP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _SP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _EXP: 180/12,895_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 4/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 100/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 3/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 33 [41]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 32 [40]_**

 ** _Vitality: 35 [39]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 27 [32]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 25 [30]_**

 ** _Perception: 31 [33]_**

 ** _Agility: 40 [40]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 5_**


	10. 10 - Diving Deeper

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 _ **"A person who has lost everything, and gained something afterwards, becomes the most horrific of monsters to keep it."**_

* * *

 _Falling gently._

 _It's cold._

 _Juniper's covered in red._

 _Jaune reaches his hand out to clasp Juniper's cold hands, and the blond woman gazes at him in sadness._

 _She buries their hands in the snow._

 _"It's just a nightmare," Juniper whispered._

 _Then, he woke up with a gasp and barely stopped himself from screaming._

 _It was just a nightmare._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Abandoned Lab_

 _ **[Congratulations! You have discovered a secret area!]**_

With a change of thought, the screen collapsed into a flurry of pixels.

As he stood on broken black steps of stairs, he saw a pair of cracked doors where there once was a vivid and colourful lab. Steady colours of black and grey attacked the area, dominating an otherwise splash of colours, with the smell of ash assaulting his nose. He turned away and his face crunched in disgust. Had Ozpin forgotten that this room existed, or was this something more?

Regardless, Jaune slid past the doors, jumping at the sound of two consecutive bangs.

Jaune looked to his left, glancing at the smashed shards of glass, its trail covering the section around it. After a few grumbles, silence permeated in the room. There were a series of broken weapons in his hands, they clacked upon landing on the dainty desk.

-X-

 ** _Blacksmith - (Passive Skill), [Unlocked], (Level: 23 - 37%)_**

 ** _A skill scaling your capabilities as a blacksmith; as the level increases - the quality of your crafts increase. The quality and the level values are proportional._**

 ** _-_** X-

 _'There. I won't need to make risks when I enhance my equipment.'_

A series of blueprints descended on the table in front of the desk, and Jaune shook his head when he saw the sheer amount of plans. Between organising his guarding duties with the White Fang, talking with Team RWBY/JNPR and improving his skills, time was short. Too short. This month had been an utter pain; he had to lie low after the disaster of a robbery.

 _'I'm just glad that I didn't kill him.'_

Jaune rubbed his head, trying to stop his headache.

It wouldn't be long before Cardin would become worse with his faunus discrimination and his bullying, which meant that _he_ would soon be a target. So, when could he stop Cardin? Stopping him when he bullied Velvet wasn't wise; he always bullied her in the cafeteria. He could call her team, but could he explain how he knew who Velvet's teammates were?

He couldn't come up with any ideas for that kind of situation.

Regardless, Jaune would need help. It was clear that he couldn't sort out everything fast enough, so he needed help with this. Nora Valkyrie was too destructive, Pyrrha Nikos was a fighter, Lie Ren was a wildcard. Ruby was childish, and he wasn't close enough with the rest of Team RWBY to ask for their assistance.

Not to mention, RWBY were fighting Roman Torchwick and the White Fang.

JNPR, on the other hand, might be an option...

Jaune raised his scroll, and tapped a few numbers. The window expands, showing a screen of boxes and images.

\- **TEXTING** -

JAUNE: _"Guys, I need your help. There's a room near Professor Peach's labs, right by the left hall. Get some air spray though, it smells like ash."_

PYRRHA: _"Alright, I'm coming."_

NORA: _"Bring pancakes, ooh, and some plates too!"_

REN: _"I'll get the plates and pancakes. Probably arrive five minutes after Nora does."_

\- **TEXTING** -

Jaune placed the scroll down by the side, pacing in silence. He knew that what he was doing could change everything. Everything. Asking the rest of his team to get involved with his situation was reckless, and dangerous. But what could he do? He couldn't do this alone. He was too weak, too tired, too afraid. It just felt like he was going to do this again, wasn't he? Ask for help, get them killed, and die trying to mend it all.

 _'Despite everything, I'm still the same person.'_

He didn't _want_ that to happen again. But, with his power, he could change everything. After his hard work, he earned the right to be _[The Gamer]_. Of course, they didn't need to know about Rat or the Game, but they needed to be here. To train together. Together, they could live. The Arcs would live, his friends would live, he would have a chance to see what it was like to live.

He just needed to be _[The Gamer]_ to do it.

"Jaune-Jaune!"

"And that's my cue," Jaune took a deep breath, and turned. He noticed the looks of disgust on their face from the smell, which faded when they had sprayed the place. Ren looked calm as always, with a pensive Pyrrha and a grinning Nora. He noted the plates of pancakes were being spread across a table.

"Hey guys," Jaune waved.

"I need your help for something, something important."

"How important is this, Jaune?"

Jaune paused, before he spoke normally. "Too important, Pyrrha." Then, his voice quietened to a whisper. "Too important."

"With your help, I think everything could change."

Ren frowned. "What exactly do you need help with?"

Jaune's face gave a small frown, and he turned to stare at the weapons on the desk. "Team RWBY plan to go after Roman Torchwick, who's working with the White Fang. I need your help; figuring out what's going on in Vale and Beacon has been difficult..."

"And you want us to help you figure out what's going on?"

"Exactly. But, we're not just doing that."

"We're doing a lot more."

* * *

 ** _~ COM ~ Criminal Or Man ~ COM ~_**

 ** _Chapter X_**

 ** _Part II_**

* * *

 _Vale_

Vale was a majestic sight. The vibrant show of colours and decoration gave it a combination of beautiful attractions and vivid sights to the viewer. Glorious, so glorious, that he doubted anything else could top it. Simply put, it was _gorgeous._

So, as he put the mask on, he became something different. A malevolent person, someone who would follow the orders of Roman Torchwick, just to survive. Not Jaune Arc, the boy who wanted to save Vale, but something different. A criminal. As melancholic as it was to admit, Jaune thought that it made him feel free to be a criminal. He didn't need to follow laws, rules, or abide by anything. He could do anything as long as he got away with it.

Melancholic, but it was the truth.

But, there was nothing romantic about being a criminal.

Jaune ran across the roof, traversing underneath the pipes, and climbing on pipes. He descended to the platform below, noticing Roman Torchwick turn as he scoffed. "Rat! Can you believe these animals? We're just wasting our time with these idiots."

 _'We? That's interesting.'_

Jaune didn't move, and spoke with a quiet whisper. "Roman, aren't we animals?"

Roman grumbled, rolling his eyes. "Don't be a smartass, Rat." Then, Roman paused, and shook his head. "Kid, Cinder wants to meet you."

"What for?"

Roman scoffed. "Do you seriously expect me to know? Cinder keeps her cards to her chest, she never tells me or Neo about anything." A few seconds later, he chuckled. "You did do a good job for your first month, and I suppose Cinder wants to check in on you for kicks."

"Be careful, Rat. I wouldn't say anything suspicious if I were you. Oh, and she's on top of the crane, for some weird reason."

Jaune nodded, thanking him as he turned. Jaune scaled the wall with _[Wall Scaling]_ , and half a minute later, was behind Cinder Fall.

Cinder turned around, eyeing him with a small smirk. "You should've been earlier than that, Rat."

Jaune sighed. "Perhaps. My apologies, boss-" Cinder put a finger up to Jaune's mask, hushing him, and she gave out a chuckle. "Don't be. I won't admonish you for it."

"Anyways, I wanted to talk with you."

"About what-?"

Cinder turned to glare at Jaune. "Don't ask the questions, and listen to me."

"Roman has discovered that a team of students are planning to deal with his little dust skirmishes across Vale. This team is known as 'Team RWBY'. Their members are Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao-Long. You and Roman will fight them off after they deal with their trip to Forever Fall."

 **[QUEST: "Playing The Role"]**

 **[You and Roman Torchwick are being ordered to fight Team RWBY, in an effort to analyse how threatening they are to Cinder's plan.** **Earning victory won't be easy, as RWBY are known for their sophisticated use of cooperation and tricks.]**

 **[REWARDS(S): 20,000 EXP. Roman Torchwick and Neopolitian become your partners when you equip the 'Rat' bonus and the mask. Questline continuation. Cinder Fall will begin to show a slight amount of interest.]**

 **[FAILURE: Arrest, punishment, expelled from Beacon Academy, etc.]**

 **[REFUSAL: You will not continue this questline.]**

 _'Accept.'_

Jaune nodded, making Cinder Fall smirk. "Now, it wasn't so hard to listen, was it?" Cinder patted the top of Jaune's head, and chuckled. "For now, train yourself. Perfect every skill and improve any flaws; imperfection will not be an option within this line of work."

As Jaune began to make his way down the crane, a small whisper disturbed his focus. "Oh, and Rat? I recommend not being merciful to your enemies this time. As sentimental as it is, sometimes it is the best option to not give mercy."

Then, there was a quiet whisper, and it was rather curious.

"I made that mistake, once."

* * *

 ** _~ COM ~ Criminal Or Man ~ COM ~_**

 ** _Chapter X_**

 ** _Part III_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

Jaune never knew that training would be so exhilarating. It was horrible. Horrible to not know, to not be aware of how amazing it felt to do something that gave him a purpose. Every time Nora had slammed her hammer into his chest or Ren fired a bullet from Stormflower, he got back up. Without doubt, he must've been running out of aura by now, but it was amazing!

Getting his ass kicked by Pyrrha was one of the best feelings ever, because the creativity that went into it. How on earth could Pyrrha decide to use a shield and a spear to do a massive combination of punches, kicks, and spins in the air? How could someone like Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie make such insane moves at a whim? Cinder might've made him feel intense fear, but he was getting over it. Slowly.

"Remind me again, Nora, _why_ we didn't train together before?"

"Jaune-Jaune! You were too busy drowning yourself in work, remember? Oh, and stop shaking in excitement!"

"Nora, I don't think he's shaking in excitement..."

"Sure, I just got decimated by you two, and Pyrrha even threw in her shield as well."

"Jaune, I already apologised for that!"

Jaune chuckled, brandishing Crocea Mors at Nora Valkyrie. Lie Ren and Pyrrha Nikos were ready to face each other off, and at the loud bang, two people ran at their partners. Jaune heard a loud bang of noise assaulting his ears when Nora fired her hammer to increase her momentum.

"Seriously, Nora? Do you always have to do that-?" Then, Jaune looked at the hammer descending down, pink electricity shining at him.

"Sorry, Jaune!" The hammer descended, sounding like electrical cackling, fizzing as it slammed down towards Jaune.

Then, Jaune impaled Crocea Mors into the ground and spun himself, increasing his momentum. He flipped out of a hammer strike, and ducked when Nora gave a horizontal swing. Sounds smashed through the area when Crocea Mors and Magnhild violently collided, making Jaune grunt in exasperation. Jaune jumped on top of Magnhild, flipping behind Nora and giving a quick slash, only for Jaune to be sent backwards because of a pink blast.

Jaune flipped over and rolled, pressing Crocea Mors against the flooring to stop his momentum, and gave a series of kicks which Nora blocked. Nora had a crazed grin on her face, giving a powerful punch that Jaune barely dodged. Jaune felt himself get swung back a bit at the sheer strength, making him whistle. Nora booted Jaune in the face, and slammed him down to the ground, ducking underneath a quick kick.

Then, Jaune switched out Crocea Mors with his rapier, and began to use _[Aura Adrenaline]_. Jaune became quicker, and Nora grinned at the increased speed, blocking every lunge and thrust with Magnhild. But, before Jaune gave a final slash, Nora grabbed his wrist and swung him around. Finally, she gave an overhead swing, watching as Jaune plummeted into the ground before her.

"Nora, there's a sloth!"

Nora spun around, searching for the "sloth", and Jaune got up. Then, Jaune lunged forward, and was blocked again by a smirking Nora.

"Seriously, Jaune? Did you really think I was that obsessed with sloths?"

"It was a try."

After that, Nora moved back a large distance, and began firing electrical grenades. Jaune kept dodging each one, before feeling one of the grenades stick to him and send him flying towards Nora, who shook her head in amusement. Jaune descended down to the platform, landing on top of his rapier, which screeched as orange sparks danced across the platform. Jaune revealed only the sword of Crocea Mors, with his left hand tightly gripping his rapier, giving a shit-eating grin at Nora.

At that, Nora fired a grenade down onto the ground, and placed it into her hand. Then, it burst with electricity. Nora dashed ahead, running towards Jaune and giving an insane volley of punches. Jaune was barely dodging as each punch was thrown, before barely slamming his sword against Magnhild. Jaune stood there shaking for a few moments, and Nora began to push Jaune back. Eventually, Jaune's legs lost their posture, and he was slammed head first into the platform.

Sparks of electricity guffawed across the area, and Jaune couldn't help but give a small smirk at the sight. Then, Jaune coughed.

"Goddammit, Nora, my back just died."

Nora laughed. "That's what it's like to fight me, Nora Valkyrie, Jaune. I mean, it is technically is what it's like, right? I'm not getting it all wrong, and freaking out over the last thing, or whatever..."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Nora, stop it. You're rambling. How about you get me off the ground and see what happened with Ren and Pyrrha?"

Ren sighed, and huffed. "I don't think you'll need to, Jaune. I don't think you'll need to..." Then, Lie Ren sat down onto a chair, and almost fell asleep. Ren was blinking, barely keeping himself up awake in his exhaustion. Pyrrha sighed, giving a small smile. "Ren's absolutely devastated, to say the least."

"So, are we done for today?"

"Oh my god, please be done..." Then, Ren's face fell onto his lap.

"I guess that's a yes."

 _\- TEAM TRAINING -_

 _ **[Training with your team has given you a few increases in stats! + 2 STR, + 3 AG, + 2 DEX, + 1 INT, + 1 PER, + 4 VIT.]**_

 _\- TEAM TRAINING -_

 _'Well, fuck. Training that hard for a very long time that given me that. Still helps, though.'_

\- _STATS -_

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 29_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _BONUS: Nothing. You no longer have the 3x EXP bonus._**

 ** _HP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _MP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _SP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _EXP: 180/12,895_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 35/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 34/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 57/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 37 [45]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 34 [42]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**

 _\- STATS -_

"Jaune-Jaune? You're doing that weird glazed look again." Nora was poking Jaune's face, waving her hands in front of her face a few seconds later.

Jaune blinked. "Oh, sorry." He chuckled, rolling his eyes at Nora. "I was thinking about something, something unimportant..."

"It did seem rather important to me if you were that glazed out."

Jaune shook his head. "Not really, just something curious, that's all. Anyway, I'm heading to the cafeteria. I need some food."

* * *

 ** _~ COM ~ Criminal Or Man ~ COM ~_**

 ** _Chapter X_**

 ** _Part IV_**

* * *

 _Vale_

Jaune perched on the roof, staring down at the series of buildings below, listening to the jazz that played in Vale. Music seemed to stretch far and wide across Vale, and there were many styles of music being played in the night. The skies were covered with bright and vivacious stars, highlighting the cracked moon that shone in the middle.

The air was fresh, and Jaune only felt peace.

"So, kid, I bet you're not in a glum mood?" In his mask, Jaune gave a small chuckle at the sight of Roman Torchwick, who was carrying a bottle of wine. Roman chuckled, placing the bottle on one of the crates near them. "So, are you up for a drink? After today, I absolutely bloody need one."

"I suppose. One glass would suffice, thanks." Roman rolled his eyes, mumbling something about politeness and annoying kids, before filling two glasses with wine. The two men sat down onto the floor, looking at the skies above within the surprisingly comfortable silence.

"I suppose that you're stressed because of-?"

"Those animals? Yep. They can't even tell the difference between tape and ties, I swear." Roman rolled his eyes, sipping from his glass of wine, softly putting it down on the crate afterwards. "Cinder seemed to be slightly annoyed after your meeting, what did you do?"

"Asked too many questions."

"Oh for god's sake, kid, never ask that woman too many questions. She absolutely hates having her authority questioned, and prefers controlling everything." Roman sighed, patting Jaune's shoulder for a moment. "I heard about the whole kicking some naive team's ass to see their threat level, what do you think about it?"

 _'Well, Roman usually doesn't ask for my opinion, how strange...'_

"Little Red as you call her is absolutely naive, her partner has issues with co-operation, her sister has issues with her temper, and the other one seems to be hiding a few things. They're a very flawed team, to say the least." Jaune chuckled. "They have some potential."

"Some potential? Ouch. That bad?"

"You don't even know how bad. But, they can fight."

Roman nodded. "Well, she does seem to be determined, for a stupid teenager. She'll learn eventually."

"About what?"

Roman sighed. "Kid, remember. Don't ask too many questions," Roman admonished. "Anyway, the world is brutal. Remnant is nothing more than merciless to any heroes," Roman raised two fingers to show his sarcasm, "that want to save the day. I just steal, cheat, and do things just to survive another day on this planet and see that Neo's okay."

Jaune chuckled. "I guess we're both stuck in a bind, now that Cinder's involved."

Roman chuckled, too. "You don't know the half of it, kid. Cinder could burn you, Neo, and myself with ease. She's that strong. Honestly, I don't know why she wants us to get so much dust, but it's something crazy. Crazier than the average plan, alright." Then, Roman took another sip from his glass. "It makes me doubt things, and I hate it when that happens. When things get uncertain, it's hard to survive, you know?"

Jaune raised his glass, chuckling as he did so. "So, I guess we can say cheers for surviving so long?"

Roman grinned. "Yep. I guess we could."

"Cheers."

Then, the two glasses clacked together, and the duo drank.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

* * *

 _ **TheSetupMage:**_ I'm just annoyed that the only reason why she even got character development was because of some over-powered ability that Ruby miraculously unlocked right as Season 3's climax happened. Season 3's climax was ridiculous. Torchwick's scene made it even worse.

 ** _M.J(Night):_** To be fair, Jaune is a bit out of it considering he literally warped out of one world to another in a different body. Then he sees people from a show, and gets the Gamer ability along with it. That's pretty crazy. As for the second part; I agree with your point about training. I don't agree with your point about saving stats because nobody could get used to massive stat increases in an instant and you get 5 points per LVL up. 5. It'd take like 10 or so LVL ups to get enough points to make an actual difference, but fair enough, I can see your point.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 29_**

 ** _Title: (The Gamer)_**

 ** _BONUS: Nothing. You no longer have the 3x EXP bonus._**

 ** _HP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _MP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _SP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _EXP: 180/12,895_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 35/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 34/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 57/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 37 [45]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 34 [42]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	11. 11 - Ignorance Is Bliss

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

* * *

 _ **"A person who has lost everything, and gained something afterwards, becomes the most horrific of monsters to keep it."**_

* * *

 _She worked with careful hands, her long fingers coiled perfectly around the needle._

 _Red, blue, yellow; an array of coloured yarn fanned out around her._

 _Juniper paused in her work, a soft smile on her face. "Kid, what's with the look?"_

 _Jaune poked his head out. "I'm just curious about the wool, what are you making?"_

 _"A scarf."_

 _"A scarf? For who?"_

 _"I'm making a scarf for you, don't you know it's your birthday?" Juniper asked, she reached out towards him and pat his head._

 _"For me? Wait, it's my birthday?" He asked, dumbfounded._

 _"Well, of course! No matter what, I'll always love you. You're my brother, after all." Juniper chuckled._

 _And the twoof them were amused by the situation._

 _Jaune gave a rare smile._

 _"Now, kiddo! Dad's in the kitchen, he's got a cake!"_

 _"Wait, seriously?"_

 _He loved these two, he really did._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _The Lab_

Upon walking in the discovered lab, Jaune was delighted to not smell the spiteful scent of ash. Quietly, he walked, chuckling as he gazed at the tables in front of him. There were a few dainty desks, but most of the dust was wiped off from them. Perhaps, then, it was necessary to finish off the decorations for the room. Not now. Jaune had something different on his mind, something more important.

Blueprints. Jaune was developing something. A new equipment set for the 'Rat', to be precise. Various blueprints were drawn across the tables, showing complex diagrams and structures of what seemed to be body armour, a remodelled mask for the criminal. Of course, Jaune wasn't going to lie to himself and say they were two different beings. He was Rat, and Jaune. Of course, he was his own person, he wouldn't dare forget who he was. Never. Of course, there were other things to be concerned about.

Cinder, or to be precise, the upcoming battle with RWBY.

Soon, he and Torchwick would fight RWBY and assess them. Not that they'd know, of course. Why would they? It wasn't like as if he'd go up to them and say "Hey, Ruby! I'm working for the guys who are working with the White Fang, don't mind me!" Jaune shook his head. It didn't work like that. As for Team JNPR? Team JNPR were doing fine, in fact, they were amazing people. His decision to let them in on this plan was the best decision he could've taken. Who would suspect Nora Valkyrie of all people to do this? Who'd expect Lie Ren to volunteer? Who'd expect Pyrrha to do something about this problem?

No one, except perhaps Ozpin and a few other perceptive people. The rest would just show why the phrase, "ignorance is bliss" has merit. However, there was a small issue.

Team RWBY.

To be frank, he didn't _want_ to do this. If he was spectating this scenario, would he accuse the person in this situation of wanting to work with Cinder? He was weak; she was powerful. Cinder could've sent Mercury or Emerald to get rid of Rat in a few seconds, and without any doubt, it was one of the two main reasons why he didn't mess around. Not anymore. The second reason was because of his slip with Yang at Junior's club. Revealing that he was aware of Raven Branwen's location would make him a high priority of concern for RWBY, since half of the team were linked in some way to Qrow Branwen. Nowadays, he didn't drink. He couldn't bring himself to drink; he had no time to waste.

Except for when he _really_ needed one after an annoying day.

Cinder's disapproval and Torchwick's assignment gave him a reality check, one he desperately needed. But, he never would bring himself to admit it. They were monsters, people who wanted to stomp on others just for their own gains. He wasn't anything like that.

Was he?

A few moments later, Jaune turned to the tables. He was starting to work on the _[Blacksmith Skill],_ which needed some work, quite an amount of it. Without a doubt. Jaune equipped some goggles, a white coat with pockets filled with notes, and some gloves. It had taken some time to work around, but he managed to "borrow" some dropped laboratory equipment. Of course, he checked them before use. He wasn't an idiot.

-X-

 ** _Thievery (Passive Skill), {Unlocked}, [LVL: 5 - 25%]_**

 ** _Description:_** _"The ability to take items from a person, location, or any objects. Level of thievery efficiency/ability to not get caught increases as the skill's EXP increases."_

 _ **Effect(s): "5% Chance of not being detected if stolen from a person. 100% chance of not being detected if stolen from a location/object that has no method of detecting a thief. Bonus EXP if stolen from a person."**_

-X-

However, he wouldn't steal from a person. Again, he only stole things that were left behind, despite the bonus EXP. _'Honestly, it's like as if the Game is taunting me, annoying_ _system.'_

Forever Fall was going to come up soon, and Jaune didn't confess to Pyrrha about his transcripts. So, here's the question: _'What is Team CRDL planning?'_ Were they going to go with the same plan? Use the jars, get the wasps, and make Pyrrha suffer? It wasn't as if things changed in class, but the reason why he didn't change many things was because he had to keep some order of canon, for now. Nowadays, the classes seemed to pass by, as he had more important things to do.

For most students, passing tests and being strong were their main concerns. For him? Saving the entire, pardon his language, _fucking_ city was his main concern. He didn't have the time to talk with the people who weren't involved with the show because he was caught up with RWBY's canon. Perhaps, once this was over, he could talk with them. That is, if he was still alive after the ordeal.

But, there was an issue to clear up, too.

Yang Xiao-Long and Raven Branwen.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Chapter XI_**

 ** _Part II_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Courtyard_

Getting Yang to talk with him was easy.

Yang Xiao-Long always thought about her mother, once in a while. After all, she never really had the presence of her birth mother, did she? She only had Summer, who had died on that _mission_ she was sent on by Ozpin. Perhaps, in a sense, Jaune felt some sort of sadness for her. A moment later, he dismissed the feeling. He couldn't pity her; she got over her mother's absence. All she wanted to know was information about her mother, that was it.

So, perhaps, it was fitting. It was fitting to talk in a courtyard of all places, which was a stark contrast to the typical environment used for private discussions. The area had a variation of plants, from the classic sycamore (to which he chuckled when he noticed) to the small red roses facing the burning sunlight. Brilliant grey concrete covered the area, and the compound was complimented by its attractive floral sights. But, that wasn't what they were here for.

"Yang, I wanted to apologise about our last meeting."

Yang chuckled, "Oh, that's alright," She looked away with a sigh. "I should've been calmer, definitely. But, you shouldn't have lied to me about my _own_ mother." She turned to look at him with a stern look, before shaking her head. "Anyways, what _can_ you tell me about my mother?"

 _'Well, that's interesting. She's a bit calm for this situation. At least, it makes the situation easier, I guess.'_

"Your mother is a woman with an interesting philosophy," Jaune sighed - and he was shaking his head a moment later. "She believes that only the strong should survive in this world, that all the weak people deserve to die." Yang paused in horror, gazing in silence, before beckoning him to continue. "Last time, she was a bit of a leader, so to speak."

"What sort of leader?"

"Well, she was one of those _unique_ leaders." Jaune put finger-quotes to highlight the emphasis, he frowned afterwards. "She's heavily into the idea of letting go her weaker members, and prefers to keep the strong ones. She's rather manipulative, and conniving." Jaune's voice decreases to a quiet whisper; he noticed the crowds of people slowly walking out into the courtyard. "She's powerful. Very, very powerful."

Yang looked at him, and her eyes were beginning to become tinted with red, but only subtle signs showed. Yang began to whisper, and Jaune barely heard her. "Why did you never tell me about her?"

Jaune's face crunched, and he refused to look at Yang. "Imagine me talking about _her_ of all people, in the middle of nowhere, with an entire crowd listening in. Besides, there were a few issues that I needed to deal with."

"Why would these issues become more important than telling a person about a mother they didn't know much about?"

"Very, very personal issues. These issues couldn't give me any time to figure out, and my studies were a pain to deal with. Besides, it has only been a few weeks, Yang."

Then, there was only an awkward silence. The two sat there, gazing at the environment near them, mulling over the conversation. Jaune was looking away from Yang, and Yang's eyes were slowly becoming a complete purple. The two refused to look at each other, considering the circumstances, it was rather unsurprising. Jaune looked at Yang, and began to speak: "Look, Yang..."

"No, Jaune, it's fine. Just go."

"Yang?"

Yang sighed. "I just need to..." She spoke with hesitance as she shook her head, "Think. I just need to think over what you just said. I just can't believe she'd be so... different to what I thought she'd be." Jaune nodded, and sat up. Then, he was walking away.

Before he completely removed himself from the premises, he decided to turn around. "Oh, and Yang?" Yang turned to look at him with a look of curiosity, dusting her clothes as she did so. "I'm sorry."

Yang gave a small, reluctant, smile. "It's alright, Jaune. For what it's worth, thanks."

After that, Jaune frowned, turning to walk away from the scene. Yang sat there in silence.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Chapter XI_**

 ** _Part III_**

* * *

 _Vale  
_

 _The Emerald Forest_

Emerald Forest.

The forest was an intriguing place; filled with broken pieces of ancient architecture and hollow trees. The forest seemed to look warped, with a minority of the plants developing black tips on their roots, which was surprising. Nothing too concerning, though. Despite this discovery, there were still things to focus on, and he didn't want to mess around. Emerald Forest was one of the few locations that allowed him to continue his experiments with his semblance.

An example would be trying to speak whilst using the semblance, in an attempt to develop control.

T̴̲̘̟̼́͂͂͝e̸̡̘̲̋s̴̫̫̦̬̍̽t̷̟͂̎͌̍̏i̷̩̠̔̓̂͋̌ń̶̙̤̔g̸̛̜͈̒̒.̶̩̲́̂̚͝ ̴͓̩̲̣̼̑̓̕͝R̴̪̳̔̈́̆͘̕ė̴̩̪̗̩̂̂s̶̲̠͖̝̔̕ų̵̫̺̠̯͝l̴̜̯̜̎̓͛̆͜͠t̷̨̻̙͚̓̉͝s̶̖͇̐̔͂͂͝ͅ ̷̳͍́ş̸̺͔̟̐͒͘u̵͔̻̖͚̒g̸̨̫̟̲̐̈́̔ͅg̴̛͖̰͆̐̅e̶̡̤̠̘̊̏̚̚s̶̭̝̬̺̾͛̚ẗ̷̤́̋͋̑ ̷̼͖̼̖̩̍v̶̻̽́̑̿͠o̶̙̥̙̬͛ì̵̗̯̺̲c̴̜̪̟͕͍̒ĕ̷͕̥͚͜ͅ ̸̺̗̍i̵͈̰̘̥̔͘s̴̝̤͓̺͒ ̵̠̭̞̫̏͒h̸͈̜͙͕̥̀͝ẽ̸̡̳̭͝a̵̙͍̞͗̆͂̽v̴͙̖̣̬͒͊͆i̴͈͚̜̭͐͘l̵͓̳̻̿ẏ̵̤ ̵̥̫̽̃w̴͖͕̰̉͋̔ͅa̷̬̋̏̓̆̕r̸͕̣̟̝̗̈́͠p̴͚̂͒̉e̶̼͈̼̔̈́͋̚d̶͍͉̱͔̗̊̀̓̌.̷̞̤̙͑̊

It was frustrating. Developing control, even with _[Gamer's Mind]_ , was astronomically difficult. His voice seemed to be almost warping, as if it was trying to fade out of existence in a blink, yet it was still stabilising itself. It makes no sense, like as if it's defying reality. It was rather ironic; wasn't his existence technically reality-warping? Unlocking his own aura had forced the Game to attempt a timeline reset, and since then the Gamer's voice was gone. He didn't know what it meant - but it definitely implied something. Was the Gamer supposed to be manipulated? Was the Gamer a threat to the world, itself? He didn't know.

He _hoped_ he wasn't in that situation. But, he wouldn't be surprised, life tends to mess things up for you.

Jaune shook his head, and sighed. "T̷̝̀͐e̸̫̥̓͛s̷͖̬̆t̷̗͕̀͊i̸͎̐͝n̴̡̎g̷͔̭͂͠ ̵͉́̕a̵͓͙̓͂g̷̺̳̚a̵̮̓ǐ̵̡̺̆n̴͖̾͗.̴͇͔̿͊ ̵̭͔̓͝V̷͈̇̈o̷̞̓̓ḯ̴̜̩c̴̨̬͛̓e̶̝̮͊͋ ̶̼͗į̷̟̈́̃ș̴̎̕ ̶̹̕s̶͎͒ẗ̸̝́̈́ì̸̺̤̑l̴̮͌̎l̴̝̤̔ ̴̰̈́ͅw̶̼͝ạ̵̊r̴͚͂͋p̴̖͇̏e̴̟̝̎̎d̶͍̣̓,̵̟͑ ̷̣̿͑n̴͙̕o̵̝̾ ̴̺̓d̷̙̞̈ị̸͊f̶̙͝f̴̗̺̌̒ě̴̘r̸͙͗͒e̴͈̭̐n̶͙̆c̴͍̊͜é̴̳̩̕s̷̪̔̅ ̸̧̅̾î̶̖n̵̤͈̈́͝ ̵̡̬̍̀ẉ̶͑͑ȧ̴̠̬́r̸͔͉͐ṗ̴̞̊i̸̳̯̋̑n̷̖̈͠g̵̗̀̀.̶̣͇̏"

Would it make sense to test his semblance in a different way? It might've helped. However, the Game _itself_ warned him that the semblance was unknown. It was completely new to the system, new to anything else in the world. It has _never_ existed before. Usually, there were always some form of similarity between semblances, but this one wasn't related to any other semblance on Remnant. The implications were frightening - and he didn't want to find out what happened if he couldn't control it.

Then, there was the sound of obnoxious beeping, making Jaune frown. He looked around, in curiosity, and frowned when he noticed a small structure near him. The small structure seemed to be an archaic building, infused with a metallic modern look, as if the two styles were forced together. Smashed windows and frail pieces of glass were a dominant part of the building - and some of the pieces were descending towards the ground. It was humming. Perhaps, it was some sort of metallic humming? Jaune didn't know.

What intrigued him, however, was the entrancing series of spots on the ground. It was almost as if they were marked circles, directly in front of the building, as if it was some sort of position to enter the building. They were glowing in the order of red, white, black, and yellow. Obviously, it was a reference to team RWBY, since the show was named after them.

He'd been so distracted, that he didn't even notice he was speaking normally. "What is this thing? It looks like some massive machinery..." He murmured, pausing to scale his fingers across the wall, but his hands hissed with pain when they were scratched by glass. Jaune grunted, instantaneously moving his hands away, like as if he touched a hot oven. His hands, they throbbed with pain. Sharp pain.

 ** _[Status: Minor Bleeding - Loss of 10 HP per minute.]_**

 _'Mental note - always bring more medical supplies than you need.'_

Jaune turned around, and decided to walk back. He didn't know what was inside of that building, but he didn't want to know. If such a structure appeared in the middle of the _Emerald Forest_ , it was definitely dangerous. Most likely event to happen? Being attacked by Grimm that prowled the insides of the building.

He didn't find out anything else; it was just a mysterious building.

* * *

 _ **~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~**_

 _ **Chapter XI**_

 _ **Part IV**_

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

 _Cafeteria_

Today, it was that kind of day. The kind of day where he'd have a coffee drinking marathon; and was competing against Ruby for the 'can digest the most things in ten minutes' contest. Ruby was scoffing on a few cookies; Weiss was filing her nails; Yang was completely enthused with Nora's story and Jaune was thanking _[Gamer's Mind]_ for keeping himself calm.

 _ **[Status: Batshit Hyper - Stamina increased by 20 for the day, the user becomes illogical.]**_

Despite _[Gamer's Mind]_ , Jaune was completely hyper. He was managing himself; it wasn't as if he was raving across the entire cafeteria. That would've been embarrassing, and he would have ended up training for the rest of his life in spite. Childish, but it was a realistic goal. There wasn't any sarcasm, right?

"There we were, in the middle of the night."

 _'I was sobbing my eyes out; Cinder admonished me.'_

"It was day."

 _'I was begging Cinder to not set me on fire, and she was giving me a villainy smirk.'_

"We were surrounded by Ursa..."

 _'Then, Cinder made a dramatic speech, and summoned her bow.'_

"They were Beowolves."

 _'What are the differences between Pyrrha and Achilles? One controls poles!'_

Nora stopped speaking when Jaune covered his mouth to smother his laughter, his face became red, and he was fanning his face to keep himself cold. He wasn't laughing because the whole situation was hilarious, he swore it wasn't! It was just the coffee making him hysterical, and the random reminder of that comment back in Forever Fall. Perhaps, it was because they were going to Forest Fall, soon? He wasn't sure. The rest of Team RWBY and JNPR were staring at him, as if they were questioning why the _hell_ Jaune was snickering.

 _'Polarity is officially my favourite thing, oh my god. Wow, that was horrible, joking about that is terrible.'_ Jaune coughed, before losing it at the looks on Team RWBY/JNPR's faces. _'I've gone mad from helping Cinder and Torchwick, haven't I?'_

Then, Weiss grabbed the cup of coffee from Jaune's side of the table, and put it in the middle. "That's it, no more coffee. Honestly, Arc, can't you contain yourself?"

Yang snorted. "Don't be so boring, Weiss, you're making me Schneep! Eh, eh?" Jaune palmed his face, sighing a moment later, and Yang rolled her eyes at the groans around them. "I'm surrounded by boring people, aren't I?" Jaune nodded, and Nora gave a smirk. "Well, we're not _that_ boring, I guess. We're just a bit boring," Nora paused, blinking to turn to Ren, "Wait, are we that boring?"

Ren sighed. "No, Nora. We're not _that_ boring."

Then, Ruby came into the conversation. "I'm sure we're not boring people, at all, actually. I mean, we have friends!" She gave a small, reluctant smile, "-and Weiss!" Weiss made a small comment - and she was giving an almost offended look towards Ruby. Blake chuckled. "I'm sure we're all entertaining people," Blake looked at Weiss, "-in our own ways." A few moments later, she was reading.

The details blurred after that; Jaune was just _thinking._ He was thinking over things, mulling over how this time in Remnant had gone, how everything had been. _'It's been crazy - to say the least.'_ Jaune looked away from the table, before looking back at Team CRDL to keep an eye on them, _'It's still unbelievable how I'm on some sort of show. Do people like me as a person, or something? It'd be interesting to see their opinions.'_ Jaune shrugged.

"-Please stop!"

As for Velvet, he'd let CRDL mess around with her, for now. He _knew_ Team CRDL would make Pyrrha a target; it wasn't as if he'd change every single thing. That'd be annoying. How would he even know what to do if everything completely changed? He wouldn't know. Besides, he wasn't the kind of person who'd be involved in confrontations, but rather the person who'd deal with the aftermath.

He'd deal with the one-dimensional bullies at the forest.

"Ren, Jaune-Jaune's making that glazed look again!" Nora exclaimed, forcing Jaune to blink and rub his eyes. "Oh, sorry about that." Jaune yawned, looking rather tired whilst giving a small smile. "I'm going to go for a small nap, or something. See you guys later." After that, Jaune stumbled upwards, and sorted out his tray. A few seconds later, Jaune was walking out of the cafeteria.

Ruby nudged Pyrrha, who looked at her in curiosity. "Am I the only one who thinks something's up with him or...?" Ruby was circling her hands, feeling awkward for talking about their friend behind his back. Pyrrha nodded. "I suppose. He has been rather tired, lately." Pyrrha looked away, before continuing to eat her food.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _Chapter XI_**

 ** _Part V_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Forever Fall_

Forever Fall was an intriguing place. It possessed a variation of trees, they lacked the usual sycamore, which was a shame. Forever Fall possessed many oak trees, with extended leaves embedded with red colouring, and the flowers seemed to almost _shine_ underneath the sunlight. There were a few miniature monoliths; and they felt rather sturdy for cracked stones.

So, it was this place. This place started it all for the original Jaune - he had managed to kill his first Ursa here and began to develop himself. But, he was leagues ahead of that version of Jaune, or was it the other version of himself? Nowadays, he was getting used to being Jaune Arc, rather than who he was.

And, for many reasons, it didn't sit well with him.

So, Jaune kept his guard up, and began to tread into Forever Fall with the other students.

* * *

 ** _~ Excerpt III ~_**

* * *

How surprising. It seems that I have discovered something interesting.

Apparently, my _daughter_ has discovered that a "Jaune Arc" knows about me. How curious. How would some random person know who, and _where_ , I am? There are a few concerns with this: a before-unknown source of information knows about me; this individual is affiliated with the Arc Family and Beacon Academy/Ozpin; this person has no possible way of finding out this information; and he was in Vale.

Which leads to the next question: what if the person that's responsible for damaging my dimensions is inside of Vale?

Perhaps, Vernal will be able to keep an eye on the tribe, but I'll need to head into Vale soon.

I might've just found out _who_ I need to speak with.

* * *

 ** _~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~_**

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

* * *

 _ **TheSetupMage:** I pretty much feel the same, except I think Raven is deeply conflicted about what she should do. She's trying to show that she's following her philosophy, but her actions seem to be against that ideal. Why didn't she teleport away with Vernal? Why didn't she decide to abandon her tribe? Either she thinks that Cinder's group has a use, or she's letting her emotions get to her head._

 _Thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

 ** _~ Author's Note ~_**

* * *

 _Hi, it's IC. On short notice, I will say that you should expect more updates. I'm having a massive break (thank god), so I'll be able to update more._

 _On other things, I would like to thank everyone for reading this fic, and I greatly appreciate the support and constructive criticism I have been given._

 _Merry Christmas, and have a great new year._

 _-ICNeo0bliVion_

 _EDIT 1: One more thing, the scene break lines are glitching, they're not letting me edit them._

 _EDIT 2: Oh my god, I'm an idiot. I forgot to adjust the size of the page; let me just eat chocolate._

* * *

 ** _~ Character Stats ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 29_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer_**

 ** _BONUS: None_**

 ** _HP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _MP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _SP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _EXP: 180/12,895_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 18/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 69/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 23/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 37 [45]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 34 [42]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	12. 12 - Roar Of The Storm

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 _ **"A person who has lost everything, and gained something afterwards, becomes the most horrific of monsters to keep it."**_

* * *

 _"Jaune! Wait up!" Juniper called for him, and Jaune stood still._

 _Dad was following Juniper from behind, and the duo were giving him smiles._

 _And in front of him, was the scarf she'd made for him._

 _"You forgot your scarf," She spoke softly. "I didn't want you to lose it..."_

 _Jaune chuckled, thanking her as she placed the scarf in his hands. "Thanks for the scarf. I still can't believe it's been so long..."_

 _Dad laughed. "Well, son! Time always go faster than you want it to, it's a fact of life." Jaune and Juniper rolled their eyes, making Nicholas guffaw._

 _"Anyways, don't you have a Bullhead to catch?"_

 _"Oh, right! Beacon. I'll see you guys soon, okay? Love you!"_

 _"Love you too, Jaune!"_

 _Jaune hugged the two for the last time, and set off._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _ **You fucking liar.**_

 _ **You became a criminal just like Torchwick.**_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _Forever Fall_

 _'Alright, we're spreading out now. Looks like Team CRDL will start to pick on someone soon, and I hope it's not me, or not Pyrrha. No offence intended, Pyrrha.'_ Quietly, Jaune was thinking to himself as he walked amidst the broken red leaves, which were being crushed under his shoes. He looked around; he didn't want Cardin to put him off his guard - and he didn't want to not be there for when they began their activities. It was annoying. Annoying to wait for the idiots to do their little plan, as it was wasting time. _His_ time.

He could be doing something more important - and it could've been beneficial for the future. Their future.

 _'Honestly, I could be training, or I could get along with my teammates. They're not even that important to me - and I'm only there to protect them. Sure, I get along with them, but it's not like they're close to me...'_ Jaune was ignoring the small pang in his chest - and he scowled when it became worse. This pang was irritating; what was wrong with him? He wasn't going to have heartburn, or anything. Anyways, RWBY & JNPR were friends, but he wouldn't let them get his guard down. He just hoped they never found out what he was doing in his night shifts.

In Remnant, it was better off to not let your emotions get in the way. He still hated the idea of killing, and he never would kill, unless it was the last option. Well, as long as the people he was fighting were horrible people. People like Cinder, Mercury, and Roman.

But, somehow, he felt uncomfortable at the idea of fighting Roman. Jaune cursed; he wasn't supposed to get close to Torchwick. But, he couldn't avoid it, could he? He and Roman were technically working in this job together, and Neo was busy taking Atlas machinery, wasn't she? It did explain how Torchwick got the Atlas mech later on. He just hoped that Roman was lying through his teeth, as it'd make it easier to deal with him.

For once, he was hoping that Roman was pretending.

Jaune shook his head, rubbing his eyes as he did so. A look of irritation developed, and Jaune seemed to almost look around with a lack of patience. Patience wasn't his strong suit. _'God dammit, when are they going to pull it off?'_ Jaune was still following his team, and he wasn't really in the mood to talk. Sure, this wasn't important at all, but having Cardin off their back would help. A lot. Jaune was tired. He was wasting his time, time that he could use to get closer to stopping Vale's destruction. He was stressing his head off over idiots who weren't even important. How worse could this get?

 _'It'll probably become worse, it always does. When something can go wrong, it will go wrong.'_

 ** _[Status: "Mediation/Calming Down" Activated.]_**

He sat on a silent rock, which refused to budge, despite his weight. To his relief, there was no sign of anyone around as he didn't want them to know how tired he was. How much coffee did he go through today? He forgot. The only reason why people weren't concerned was thanks to Ruby. Ruby, of all people, could eat an entire ship of cookies. He sighed. Why couldn't he be this relaxed? He didn't know where he went wrong with everything - and it wasn't like as if he was supposed to work with _Cinder_ of all people. Even he knew it was only going to be a short time until someone noticed something off.

 ** _[Status: "Meditation/Calming Down" Deactivated.]_**

At the sound of buzzing, Jaune was running up ahead, ignoring the loud sounds of brambles cracking under his feet. The buzzing became louder. He was still running in the same direction - and he knew he was getting closer to whoever CRDL was messing with. Could it be Pyrrha? He hoped it was - and not because of some silly bias against her. It would mean he knew what he should be doing, and how he'd pull it off. Worst case scenario, someone else was targeted, and that'd _piss him off._

Jaune sighed, and ran up to the scene. Tightly, he gripped his right hand, when he noticed rapier wasps flying towards Nora. He noticed that she was alone. Alone? Why? What did Nora do to CRDL? Surely, there wasn't a reason why CRDL would've targeted her? _'Wait, wasn't CRDL giving looks to me?_ ' But, then he realised something, and Jaune was already using _[Aura Adrenaline]_. He sped across the area, and slashed the wasps to pieces with Crocea Mors.

CRDL wasn't giving looks to him.

Jaune snarled. "What in the fucking hell do you think you're doing?" Glaring at Team CRDL, a cocky Cardin smirked back, looking at a glaring Nora. Nora stood up, and then press a hand on his Jaune's shoulder. "I'm breaking their legs - and that's final!" He glared back at Nora, who looked away. Quietly, he whispered, "Are you serious? These little shits-" He looked back at CRDL, "-dared to hurt you. I'm ripping them a new one - and I don't care if you want to beat them up."

But, as he prepared to brandish Crocea Mors, three Ursa appeared. Two of them were Ursa Majors, and Jaune was already gritting his teeth. _'Great, now we have the Grimm.'_ Unsurprisingly, Team CRDL ran away, leaving the two of them to face the Ursa. Jaune looked at Nora, who was sighing. "Nora, are you alright-?" All of a sudden, Nora looked _tired._ Nora shook her head, and brandished Magnhlir. "No. But, we can rip the legs off these Grimm, first."

 _'How the hell did I not notice?'_ Jaune was already putting himself in front of Nora, and shielding the two. "Nora, follow my lead, okay?" Nora nodded. At that, Jaune parried the first Ursa that rushed ahead, and slammed it down to the ground with Crocea Mors. Nora leaped over him, and smashed her hammer into its skull, and they heard the crack of their white armour when it happened. He frowned - and Nora was already onto the next Ursa. Nora looked frustrated, and was shaking.

Jaune panicked - and was rushing ahead. Nora slammed her hammer into the Ursa's chest, but was flung back into a tree that violently rumbled.

 ** _[Status: BERSERK/GAMER'S MIND BROKEN - -_** **70% of INT, WIS, +20% PER, + 30% STR, +20% AG.]**

Jaune, in his anger, was already dismissing the screen. He ran through it - and he caused the screen to split apart. Quickly, Jaune slashed at the Ursa Minor's foot, causing it to trip down and land on the ground. It screamed, but Jaune didn't care. What mattered - and this was what actually mattered - was that Nora was hiding how hurt she was all of this time. But, did he notice? No.

 _'I was too obsessed with the White Fang. I was obsessing over how to deal with Cinder, so much, that I didn't even consider RWBY or JNPR.'_ In disgust, Jaune shook his head, but continued to keep stabbing the Ursa with no thought. He didn't notice another Major Ursa to slam its claw into his face, but it fell over when Nora swung her hammer into its face, hearing the violent sounds of thudding a few moments later. They noticed the Ursa Minor begin to stand up, but then it was brutally killed when Ren opened fire at its head. He was followed by a frustrated Pyrrha, who swung her spear through the Ursa Minor's chest.

Then, there was silence.

 ** _[Status: BERSERK/GAMER'S MIND BROKEN - DEACTIVATED.]_**

Jaune knew that Ren was _trying_ to stay calm. He saw that his fists were pale, and Ren was looking at Nora with concern. Jaune looked away in guilt, and Ren walked to the two of them. Ren sighed. "Unbelievable." He shook his head, looking away from Nora. "I just heard about Nora being bullied by CRDL-" Quietly, Ren growled, and looked away, "-And I can't believe I didn't see it." He wiped some of his hair from his face, and looked at Nora. "Why did you hide this from us, Nora? We could've-"

"-Done what?" Nora looked at him, sighing. "Last time this happened, we couldn't do anything. The bullies always got away - and you saw what they did with Velvet. They didn't get into trouble. There was no way I could've broke their legs," She chuckled at that comment, before sighing, "and I should've gone to you guys. I was being stupid."

Jaune put Crocea Mors on the soft leaves, and put an arm on Nora's shoulder. Jaune's voice became morose, and quiet. "I'm your leader - and I didn't even look at the signs. I'm such an idiot," He put a hand through his hair, looking away in thought. "I'm sorry." Nora shook her head. "It's not your fault. Ren's right-"

"-No, Nora, you're right." Ren sighed. "There was nothing we could've done."

Pyrrha sighed. "Either way, this will stop." She looked at Nora, "I just can't believe we missed it. We're your friends, Nora, and we couldn't even help." She looked away in thought, and she dropped Milos and Akouo on the soft leaves beneath them, hearing the leaves crackle afterwards. Nora sighed. "I didn't want you guys to know - so I hid it from you." She looked away.

Then, it was silent. It was an awkward silence - and Jaune didn't like it that way. "Either way, we're still here, right? If CRDL isn't punished-" Jaune smirked, "-Then we'll have to punish them in our own way."

Ren raised an eyebrow, and Pyrrha was beginning to have a small smile. Nora looked serious, frowning at him. "Are we going to break some legs?" Jaune chuckled. "Probably not." Ren's eyebrow raised even further, and Pyrrha began to speak. "We could pretend to be sloths." Nora giggled, and Ren sighed. "I don't think pretending to be sloths would be a good idea." Jaune grinned. "Come on, Ren, it's an amazing idea. Right, Nora?" Nora nodded.

"Ooh! Wait, I got one!" Nora looked at the three of them. "How about we shave CRDL's hair, and put pictures of sloths on their heads?" Jaune laughed - and Ren was trying not to smile. Pyrrha put a hand to her mouth to stop herself from laughing. Nora was beginning to have one of her normal grins again, and Jaune couldn't be more relieved. _'It doesn't mean she's automatically happy again,'_ He thought bitterly, _'It'll be a while until she deals with everything. But, for once, things are looking up.'_

A few moments later, the four of them walked together.

However, out of the four, only Jaune felt bitter.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part II ~_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Near The Docks_

It was always silent.

At night, Vale was always quiet. Criminals were making their moves, robbing shops, and making mistakes. Mistakes, that'd either kill them, or put them in prison. Either way, those criminals didn't matter. After all, in his eyes, most criminals in Vale were horrible people. Horrible, disgusting, and even worse than many of the criminals back on Earth. Jaune sighed, and put his freezing hands into his pockets, who knew it was so cold? He was shivering, and every time he released a breath, it would always become visible.

Jaune stood there, looking at Vale's Port, waiting. He was waiting for Roman. No, Torchwick. He was waiting for Torchwick, and he was annoyed over how _long_ it took for him to get here. Sure, he claimed that there was something massive going on, but he didn't tell him what. Then, there were sounds of someone walking, and Jaune was on guard. He looked around, before his eyes widened when Neo was in front of him. Grinning.

"Could you not do that? It's annoying." Neo shrugged, grinning as she did so. Then, she put her scroll out, and began to type. _"It's funny when the postmen get scared."_ Jaune rolled his eyes, and sighed. "I wasn't scared." Neo's grin, if it was possible, widened. _"It's hilarious when they deny it."_ At that, she looked like she was laughing, which made Jaune put one of his hands on his mask.

"Anyways, what are we doing here?" Neo frowned. _"God, Roman was right. You REALLY like questioning people, even if they're a thousand times more powerful than you."_ She shook her head. _"Anyways, see that shop over there?"_ She turned to look at a shop that was opposite to the rails that they were lying against. _"We're going to rob that shop, and then head for a little 'special' mission."_

Then, Neo gave a little grin. _"Now, are you ready?"_ Jaune nodded.

At that, the two of them walked towards the shop, and Neo lifted her parasol. Then, Neo smashed a window, and fired what seemed like a small metal seed at the alarm before it could go off. The alarm turned into little pieces of broken metal. Jaune raised an eyebrow as Neo reloaded the weapon, and chuckled. _"I've always liked plants, especially the okra plant."_

"Wait, what family is the okra plant in?"

Neo raised an eyebrow. _"I didn't know you were interested in plants."_ Then, she chuckled, _"They're in the mallow family."_

Then, Neo jumped onto the side of the window, and flipped over it. Jaune grabbed one side of the window, and lifted himself into the area. Then, he landed headfirst onto the floor, and Neo was trying not to laugh. _"Keep up the pace; I want to see Roman's face when he knows about how you fell head-first onto the floor."_ Jaune stood up, before walking to the dust, which was in front of a steel door. Then, he pulled it, and he dodged a massive box that dropped from above.

"Neo, there's traps." Neo sighed. _"Alright, give me a moment."_ Then, the two of them were smashing the glass, and they grabbed the dust. The walls began to close in on them, and the steel door was moving towards them. All of a sudden, the entrance was closing, but Neo threw her umbrella. The parasol got stuck between the door, and the two of them ran out.

"That was short." Neo nodded, and pulled her parasol out. Neo looked at Jaune - and she pointed at the docks. Together, the two ran towards the docks, and Jaune jumped over a rail and was running across one of the platforms. Then, there was a sudden stop, but there were various boxes. Jaune did a back-flip, descending down into the boxes. The boxes cushioned his landing, to Jaune's relief, and he climbed out of the box. Neo raised an eyebrow at the _unique_ way of getting to another area, but shrugged. She had seen stranger things.

"Wow, kid. Did you go in a box or something?" Roman raised an eyebrow, chuckling at the sight of Jaune. Jaune rolled his eyes, and shrugged. Neo walked towards Roman, and was talking with him. Roman chuckled - and rolled his eyes. "Of course. Rat may have some experience, but he isn't a criminal mastermind." Then, he coughed to get their attention. "Anyways - you're probably wondering why you're here." As Neo walked to Roman's side, Jaune nodded.

"Well, we have another task for you, kid. Cinder wanted to see if you're worth it - and so do we. If we're going to fight this little kid's team," He signed speech-marks at the mention of a team, "Cinder wants the three of us to do something special. Something that'll probably blow everyone's minds." He grinned.

 _'Holy shit.'_

 _ **[SPECIAL QUEST: "Another One Bites The Dust"]**_

 _ **[Cinder Fall wants you, Neo, and Roman Torchwick to infiltrate one of the SDC's main factories. One of those factories is located in Vale, and it is filled with Atlas machinery. One of those special machines, however, is the Atlesian Paladin-290.]**_

 _ **[WARNING: There is a massive machine lurking within the deepest floor of the factory. It is a BOSS-CLASS machine.]**_

 ** _[Your objectives are:]_**

 ** _[Steal the dust.]_**

 ** _[Steal the Atlesian Paladin-290.]_**

 ** _[Survive.]_**

 ** _[OPTIONAL: Defeat the BOSS-CLASS machine.]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 50,000 EXP. Increased closeness to Neo/Roman Torchwick. Slightly increased closeness to Cinder Fall.]_**

 ** _[You cannot decline this quest.]_**

 _'Accept.'_

Roman blinked. "Well," He chuckled, "I didn't expect you to agree to that." Then, Roman shrugged, and looked at one of the Bullheads. "See that bullhead over there?" He pointed towards the bullhead, and looked at the others. "The three of us are going to fly that bullhead, and land near the entrance of the factory. This factory is unknown, as only a few people know that the factory exists." He sighed. Neo put a hand on Roman's shoulder, and Roman looked at Neo. "This mission is going to be a fucking pain."

Then, the trio walked towards the Bullhead, and Jaune only heard soft steps across the platform. Then, it was raining, and Jaune felt the gentle pattering of the rain drops descending onto him. Tightly, Jaune gripped his pockets. He could still feel the daggers and his revolver, which made him sigh in relief. It would've been horrible to do this mission without any weapons - and he wouldn't have been able to help. At all.

Regardless, the three sat down onto the seats. Roman got into the driving seat, and began to start the Bullhead. The Bullhead seemed to hum, and the machines inside of it light up. Various screens popped up, and the entire area was like a light show. Jaune looked at Neo - and was rolling his eyes. Neo chuckled. _"You get used to the lights, eventually."_

Then, Neo and Jaune gripped the rails tightly, and looked at the scenery outside. The two did admire the view of Vale - and it was such a shame it had to be seen in this way. However, Jaune was nervous. He felt tight, and he couldn't help but feel worse when he looked down. After a few seconds, Roman threw a pair of night vision goggles at the two. Roman began to talk loudly. "I'd wear those things in that factory if I were you-" He chuckled. "-It's an absolute pain to go in there without any."

Then, there was the loud howl of a beast, that seemed to fly out of the clouds. Roman palmed his face - and was rolling his eyes. "Honestly, can we not be bird food? I'd appreciate if I wasn't Griffon food, thanks." Then, Roman swerved the Bullhead out of the Griffon's trajectory, and was annoyed when the Griffon was following them.

\- **PROFILE -**

 ** _["Son Of Storms"]_**

 ** _Description:_** _"The Son Of Storms, this Griffon is known to stay by the sea. It never roams around the port, unless it is at night."_

 ** _[HP: 6000/6000]_**

 ** _[MP: 0/0]_**

 ** _[SP: 0/0]_**

 ** _[LVL: 54]_**

 ** _\- PROFILE -_**

Roman turned around, and pointed at Jaune. "Rat! Handle one of the turrets; Neo will handle the others." Jaune nodded, and quickly mounted one of the seats. Jaune looked at a grinning Neo, who was mounting another turret. Then, they were firing at the griffon. The griffon was dodging various hits, swerving its way through the roaring storm - and it almost sounded as if it was cackling. Cackling, of all things! Jaune's turret was recharging - and it was beginning to overheat. Jaune cursed, and mounted a different one.

Then, the griffon was charging towards the bullhead, and Roman turned the bullhead. The griffon actually hit a part of the ship, causing some of the armour to fly off, leaving its metallic exoskeleton out for all to see. Roman swore, and then fired mini-rockets from the Bullhead towards it. One of the rockets hit the griffon, making it screech in pain, before its eyes became black. Then, it opened its maw, and unleashed hell. A black beam had appeared from its maw, and it began to move around, trying to hit the bullhead. Jaune was firing a storm of bullets - and it wasn't even doing anything to the griffon!

 ** _["Son Of Storms" - HP: 4800/6000]_**

 _'Even after all of that, it STILL has over half of its health?'_

The three of them heard the intense waves from below - and knew something. If the griffon managed to take down the ship, they'd die. Roman decided to use the rocket boosters of the ship, and spun it around. Then, the ship was flying towards the griffon, swerving out of the beam's trajectory at an uncontrolled pace. Jaune could hear the roaring waves below, its sounds swirling in the screaming skies - Neo firing rockets from her turret. Together, they were firing a hailstorm of weaponry towards it, watching as rockets lit up like fireworks.

"We only have a few minutes before the Bullhead runs out of fuel - so we need to kill this thing fast!" Roman shouted, and Jaune spun to face him, noticing the look of worry on Roman's face. He turned - and he noticed the rocket boosters groan as fire sprung into the griffon's face. The griffon screamed.

For a moment, screaming was all it did.

Then, it ripped its own white mask off its face, and it revealed black blots. Black blots with swirling red eyes, and monstrous teeth. Had it grown teeth because of its age? Jaune didn't know - and he didn't care. _'Not when I might die in the middle of the sea!'_ He continued firing at its face, and the griffon dodged the hailstorm of bullets. This time, however, it wasn't cackling. It was _screaming._ The griffon flew ahead, spinning around, before it aimed at the front of the bullhead.

Then, Neo fell from her seat, and was about to fall to her death. Jaune let go of his turret, and clutched one of the rails, grabbing Neo's hand. Neo looked at him in panic, and Jaune nodded. Roman accelerated the bullhead at top-speed, making it groan at the sheer force it was using. One of the boosters was beginning to disintegrate - and it was melting. They noticed the griffon charging, and Roman was going to charge into its face. Neo and Jaune's eyes widened - was Roman crazy? This was suicide!

Roman shouted. "Trust me, I know what I'm doing!" He grit his teeth; before crashing into the griffon. The griffon screeched and screamed, before falling down into the maw of the great sea below. Then, Jaune lifted Neo over onto the floor, and the two of them sighed. Then, they ran towards to Roman, who was panicking. "I don't know how we'll be able to live! Does anyone have any ideas?"

Jaune looked at the two of them, before shouting. "Grab onto the rails, onto anything! I have an idea!" The three of them grabbed a rail, a part of the Bullhead, before Jaune shouted.

 _"[Aura Adrenaline!]"_

Then, the ship's engine screamed because of how fast it was going, and the three of them could see a small island up ahead. The ship screeched - and it was collapsing. The boosters were melting, before bursting into flame. The three of them could barely keep their grip on the rails, before the ship crashed into the island below.

Then, there was darkness.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Review Responses ~_**

* * *

 ** _xXgabeXx:_** Probably would've added something else to it, if I only had lemons.

 ** _ExS-DrIfTeRr:_** Pretty much agreed there - that scene was made back in October? I think? Not sure. Definitely was a bad idea to put that speech in.

 ** _ExS-DrIfTeRr (2):_** To be fair, he's pretty much in a world of fiction. Moving to an entirely new world, even after two months, would still be confusing. Oh, and he recognised her as the woman who wants to destroy an entire city. But, I can see where you're coming from.

 ** _edgolub2:_** I'm rewriting that chapter anyway, but yeah, you're supposed to not know what's going on. To be fair, though, I understand your point.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 29_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _MP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _SP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _EXP: 180/12,895_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 18/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 69/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 23/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 37 [45]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 34 [42]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	13. 13 - What Lies Beneath Us

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 _ **"A person who has lost everything, and gained something afterwards, becomes the most horrific of monsters to keep it."**_

* * *

 _He was gone._

 _He left them._

 _He will forever and ever abandon those who loved him._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

Ŭ̶̻̙̖̱̙͎̳̾̌̀̚ͅͅn̴̡̛͓͖͔̰̣̹̭̺͉̅̈́͂̒̽́̀̃̽͋̈͆̃͝ͅk̷̛̬̯̦̙͍̼̃̀̀͂̈́͛̀̍͌͘͜ͅņ̸̺͙͚̺̞͂̆͝͝o̷̮̲̫͌̔̎̊̈̓̌̎͌͗̀̕̕͠͝ŵ̴̧̦̪̻͚̣̜͍̞̻̲͐̈́̌̀͒̈́̈̎̕͝n̵͉̖͚̫̠͇͎̾̓̀̃͊̈́́̈́͐̾̽̕͝ ̷͕̞̜͕̟͒̂̐̐̊͐̇̈́͌̑̕͝Ȧ̵̛̭̥̻͕͇̰̰̩̐̽̇̐̀̿͊ŗ̵̹͇͙́̽̉̈́̈́̆́̚͝͝͠ę̷̜͇͔͚̮̯͈̑à̸̜́̋͗̾̇͝͝.̸̨̹͖̺̞̠̮̤͒̈́̀̈́́̈̈́̇̉̈̇̕

 _'How curious.'_

Blurs, fizzing, piercing pains in his chest, they were the things he was dealing with.

After what seemed like a long time; Jaune woke up. Grunting, he rolled himself over to look at the sky, but frowned when he stared at an unforgiving darkness. The dark skies were filled with stars, stars that cascaded across the area like glitter. He was struck silent. He didn't know what happened - and he seemed to be in a situation with no hope. The area was mysterious, an anomaly. It was filled with pieces of metal, and it was disturbed by a contrasting white row of paths that were nearby.

Back then, Jaune might've found it humorous, but there was no time to waste.

 _'Goddammit, what is this place?'_ With a curse between his lips that refused to come out as sound; Jaune lifted himself up to sit down on something. He didn't know what, but it was surprisingly strange when it was compared to the usual hard landings that people would make. Raising an eyebrow, he decided to look down to the ground, and was shaking his head when he saw _who_ he was on.

"Kid, could you get off?" Roman rolled his eyes - and looked at an awkward Jaune in the eyes. "Seriously. I might actually end up with back pain, and I don't want that to happen in my twenties," Roman chuckled, before frowning. "Have you seen Neo?" Jaune stood up; looking around to see where Neo was. Where was she?

Seconds later, Neo was seen. She was walking towards them - but she was using her parasol as support. Neo was glaring at one of her legs, before giving a subtle flinch at the pain in her leg. Her clothes, previously a mixture of sophisticated styles, now looked as if they were burned. Burned and charred, like as if a painting was reduced to ash, never to be as beautiful as it once was. Roman grabbed Melodic Cudgel and ran towards her. Jaune was dashing alongside him.

Then, Neo seemed to look at the two of them, with _emotion._ Jaune stood there, within the mask, completely confused. As Neo hugged Roman - and reluctantly nodded at Jaune. She seemed rather uncomfortable with him, but then she turned to look at Roman. Why was she acting like this? Jaune, no, _he_ was shocked to see something that he never thought he'd see.

Neo was giving a small smile. It wasn't one of her psychotic, horrendous smiles that she'd use during fights, but it was a genuine smile. What was going on with her? Why was she doing this-?

 _'I saved her life. She would've died if I didn't grab her hand on the Bullhead...'_ Jaune paused. He saved the life of one of the five people who'd leave Vale crawling onto its knees, and he felt disgust. He saved a life, true, but this was the life of a woman who'd cause the deaths of so many people for just one man. But, this woman, she didn't look like the monster that fought Yang. She seemed different - almost as if she was acting. This led him to a single, but significant question...

 _'What if there's more to this than I thought?'_ As Neo and Roman were communicating; he stood silently. He couldn't believe it, he was actually considering the possibility of sparing Neo. Neo! Should he laugh? Neo and Roman were stealing dust for a plot, a massive plot that'd cause the deaths of hundreds, thousands! _'They didn't know about Cinder's plot...'_ He was beginning to stop and think.

 _'Still, they went along with it. When they found out about Cinder's plan; they went along with it.'_ Jaune stood there, looking towards the sea, its waves smoothing the sands of the shore. The quiet, but peaceful sounds tuned out the others. But, he wasn't feeling peaceful. _'I can't believe it.'_ He shook his head - and sighed. _'I do care about Roman. Some misguided, naive, stupid part of me cares about him.'_ He planned to save an entire world; but he couldn't believe it. Some idiotic part of him actually thought Roman was worth caring for.

Neither he, or Neo, were worth anything.

He didn't know whether to laugh or to be ashamed. He was beginning to care for a sick fuck of a criminal; but the worst thing about it was that Roman might actually be stringing him along. Despite his foreknowledge, he was being strung along in this plot by so many people, and he _hated_ it.

"Kid, are you alright?" Quickly, Jaune turned to the two of them, and Roman raised an eyebrow. A few moments later, Jaune sighed. "It's..." Neo seemed to peak in, looking at him with curiosity. "I don't want to talk about it," Jaune added quietly. To his surprise, they seemed to accept that. "Anyways," Roman looked at the two of them with a small smirk, "After this little charade, I think we should do something special. Something to celebrate our new _friendship._ " Inside the mask, Jaune grit his teeth, trying to not snap at the two.

"But first, how about we deal with this madhouse and then get out of here?" Roman chuckled, "After this, I think all of us will need a break after this, to be honest..." Roman grumbled, shaking his head as he followed the white, glowing pathways.

A moment later, Neo seemed to walk up to him, and began to type. _"Come on, Rat."_ She paused, sighing afterwards. _"Look, I wanted to thank you for saving my life. Roman too. Roman might be an asshole, but he IS thankful."_ Jaune was trying not to laugh. Roman Torchwick, thankful? He'd be the _last_ person to be thankful in a world like Remnant; that sicko would ruin an entire city before he was thankful.

 _'I'll pacify her; get her to stop talking about it...'_

Jaune sighed. "Alright, alright-" He put his hands up - but Neo was having none of it. _"-No, Rat. Stop it. You saved my life; even if you had to risk losing your life. We're going to celebrate later, okay?"_ Neo, in an amusing way, seemed to pout. A few moments later, Jaune sighed, and put one of his palms onto his mask. "Fine, fine." He grumbled, looking away to avoid Neo's stare. "I'm sorry."

Neo grumbled. _"You don't need to apologise. You did nothing wrong."_

 _'I saved your life. That's what I did wrong.'_

Jaune stopped focusing on the dreary thoughts in his head, and softly walked across the pathways. The whole area seemed to light up; almost as if it was some sort of grand display. Was it some sort of mechanical structure deep below the surface? There were a massive amount of pipes strewn across the area - with pits filled to the brim with mechanical parts. The mechanical parts were black, almost as if they were Atlesian Knight-130s or Spider Droids. Why were they there?

That put him on edge.

The trio were walking across the platform, gazing around the area for anything. This may be one of the SDC's main factories, but who knows what the factory contains? The SDC and General Ironwood could've established any plans of defence against any intruders - and Jaune knew General Ironwood wasn't a man to mess with. Not a chance.

"Guys," Jaune and Neo turned to a frowning Roman. "Keep an eye out; we don't know what's in this fucking place but there _will_ be robots. Got it?" The aforementioned nodded at Roman, who was aiming Melodic Cudgel at anything that seemed to pop out of sight, almost as if he was being overly concerned. The two of them knew better - Roman Torchwick became one of the greatest thieves in Vale's history for a reason.

"Funny how you mention that," Jaune swung around, dodging a strike from a machine. A rapid slash in the chest caused it to stumble, and Jaune ducked when Neo stabbed it in the head with a blade extending from her parasol. "They just appeared." Roman rolled his eyes at Jaune's sarcasm - and the sounds of violent bangs were flooding Jaune's senses rather harshly. A series of Spider Droids seemed to climb from the pits, and wait, were those-?!

Roman aimed Melodic Cudgel at the Spider Droids immediately, and Neo parried an Atlesian Knight-130 that tried to stab Roman through the stomach. Neo spun around, grabbed the machine and threw it into the air before slamming it back down. Neo descended, only to stab the bot in the head with her parasol. Electrical sparks were spitting from its head, but Neo grinned. Then, Roman and Neo frowned. Jaune grabbed his revolver, and began to fire at the Spider Droids aiming to unleash lasers at Neo/Roman, forcing the droids to focus on him. They were crawling towards him, and violent sounds of clanking permeated through the area, making Jaune grunt in annoyance.

"Why? Why are spider droids equipped with _fucking_ lasers?" Jaune snarled; before rushing towards them with his daggers. Jumping onto one of the Spider Droid's legs, he ascended up the machine as it shook in a feeble attempt to fling him off. Jaune kept shooting it in the head; slowly penetrating the thick black armour that started to emit smoke from the back of its head. It let out a ferocious screech; making Jaune grab his daggers and stab it at the area of the smoke. After a final shake, the droid descended, and a different droid slammed him into a wall.

Jaune could hear the sounds of roaring engines - making him scramble his arms through small rocks in panic. Eventually, he was able to climb out, noticing Roman giving the droid a barrage of unstable flares. Jaune heard loud whistling; before he gazed at the explosion of metal tearing off various droids. The droids seemed to emit screams, making Jaune cover his ears. What the hell was this? Sure, Neo and Roman were annoyed, but they were fine with the noises. Why was he barely dealing with them?

 _'That doesn't matter,'_ Jaune ignored the ringing in his ears, and blocked a slash from an Atlesian Knight-130. _'I need to fight these things off.'_ Jaune side-stepped to the right, swerving away from an uppercut. Jaune smirked when he saw the robot over-extend its legs, allowing Jaune to slash its legs off. A few moments later, Jaune was able to move on, before he noticed the rest of the robots becoming wrecked pieces of metal.

Neo and Roman gazed down at the falling droids, before turning away from the scene. Roman was swinging Melodic Cudgel around; Neo was slowly walking towards Jaune. As he looked at the duo, he chuckled. "Well," He raised an eyebrow at the scene, "-That happened." Roman was giving scoffing; dusting his clothes before making sure his eyeliner wasn't ruined. Neo was just trying not to laugh at Roman.

"Okay, I know that this is a SDC facility," Roman rolled his eyes at the mention of the SDC, "But it looks like someone's got something to hide in there." He grinned, and Neo was beginning to have a small smirk on her face. Quietly, Jaune groaned. "This is going to be one of your crazy plots, isn't it?" Roman proceeded to face-palm himself, and sighed. "Why do you think my plans are crazy? They're the kind of plots that small-time criminals would do." Neo nodded, but she gave Jaune a small grin in amusement.

Roman looked at Neo with a sarcastic gasp. "Neo! Don't you agree with me? Are my plots _that_ insane?" Neo shook his head; making Roman give a small grin. "See, Rat?" Roman spread his arms out, before dramatically making gestures of arm movements. "On Remnant, nothing is too insane. If you live; you'll pretty much get to do crazy things. I mean, don't you love fucking your prototypes of art-?"

Jaune nodded, before turning back to look at Roman. "Yes." He paused, before shaking his head. "Wait, WHAT? No! I don't like fucking my weapons!"

"Wait, you actually fucked your weapons to find out if you liked doing it?" Roman pretended to dramatically raise his eyebrow, only to stop himself from laughing.

Neo was trying not to laugh, and it did show on her face. She was shaking in mirth, and Jaune decided to slump his shoulders to show sarcasm. _"Do you really like fucking your weapons-?"_ Jaune frowned at Neo. "No, I don't!" He disclaimed. Neo grinned at Roman, who grinned back. "Kiddo, listen, we're joking." Roman laughed when Jaune stopped moving. "Alright, alright." He began to use pacifying gestures, and smirked. "We get it; you don't want to get your little secret to get out-"

"-For god's sake, I don't fuck my weapons!" Jaune raised his arms up into the air, making both Roman and Neo laugh. Jaune gave a small smile in his mask, and sighed. "Goddammit, do you guys love doing that to people?"

"Not exactly." Roman chuckled. "It happens - but it's a rare thing. Just like the time to actually not worry, now." Towards the end of his statement, Roman frowned. Neo seemed to gave a small frown, before rolling her eyes. _"He's having those moments of nostalgia, again."_ Neo chuckled. _"Don't worry about him; Roman's always had those dramatic moments."_

Jaune shrugged. "Alright, then." A few moments later, the trio were walking into the gargantuan structure before them. It was a small, metallic door that seemed to gleam.

Then, he raised an eyebrow at a giant black screen that emerged by the door.

 ** _[This is a dungeon.]_**

 ** _[Dungeons are special instances where you complete certain tasks. These areas tend to have high LVL foes, so be cautious.]_**

 ** _[WARNING: This dungeon is highly dangerous for your LVL. It would be an excellent idea to beat this instance with friends/allies.]_**

 ** _[Members: 3]_**

 ** _[Go?]_**

 _'Go.'_

 ** _[Good luck.]_**

Then, the three of them walked into the building, and the door closed with a loud bang.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part II ~_**

* * *

 ** _[SPECIAL QUEST: "Another One Bites The Dust" has mutated into a DUNGEON QUEST.]_**

Upon entering the chasm, there were a series of halls. These halls seemed to have metallic flooring - and they were decorated with the SDC's symbol. The walls were a brilliant white; a contrast to the darkness that surrounded the halls. Seemingly, there were machines. Machines that were quietly humming, almost as if it was some sort of musical tune, but it must've been something else. To Jaune's surprise, there were no machines in sight. Were the machines outside guarding the area? Was this just some sort of 'trick' the SDC were pulling off? He didn't know.

Roman, Neo, and Jaune were walking in caution, waiting for something to happen. Nothing happened.

They walked in the silence - and they were waiting. Roman softly stepped through the door, only to duck underneath an axe that swung towards him. Neo fired a barb at the top of the axe, stopping it from moving. Quickly, Roman crawled backwards, allowing him to get away from the axe. A few moments later, the axe descended and impaled the floor with a loud clang. Roman looked at the two of them with a frown, and he hid his panic from the others.

Neo put a hand on Roman's shoulder, but Roman shook his head. "I'm fine. Let's keep moving."

Jaune frowned. _'Why would the SDC use traps in one of its own factories?'_ That was the question on Jaune's mind. It could've been for various reasons: the SDC were going the extra mile when it came to their technology; they were tired of people stealing dust; the SDC wanted to sort things themselves or there was something different. A massive factor that turned the factory into a madhouse. Something _big._

 _'What could that big thing be?'_ It could've been anything: significant documents; advanced weaponry; or it could've been a different machine. Who knew what was going to happen? Jaune sighed. It was only a matter of time until a horrible event occurred, and he knew this quest was just the beginning of the "game" that he was playing.

A few moments later, the trio reached the end of the hall, revealing an opaque office. The office possessed the colour scheme of the Schnee emblem; and the desk was rather quaint. The area was clearly dusty - and it showed age as well. Clearly, nobody had visited the area in a long time. However, Jaune's eyes darted to a small black book on top of the desk. Jaune grabbed the book, and looked at the title, before he froze.

 _'This is a book about "Mana Energy" by Doctor Merlot.'_ A few seconds later, he opened the pages, but he was surprised by the lack of writing within them. Jaune looked into each page - and found nothing. He was about to drop the book until he discovered there was writing on the last page.

 _"Mana Energy, despite my insights, remains a mystery. It is said to be the second part of the soul; and its ability allows the person to heal their injuries. Interestingly, many people believe Aura to be responsible for this, but I believe they're wrong. I don't know what it'll do to the Grimm, but I believe it won't work."_

 _"What is also interesting, however, is the Nature Theory. The Nature Theory suggests that Mana actually originated from a previous society, one that had died out to war. The negativity, destruction, and genocide might've created the Grimmlands. Thus, the Grimm were created as a 'response' made by nature. If this is true, the two brothers theory might be incorrect. However, this is all just speculation, and my past experiments via Merlot Industries didn't help either."_

 _"Perhaps, if this succeeds, Grimm will be able to mutate. However, this may require a serum..."_

In silence, he stood. Looking around the area - and noticing Roman/Neo speculating the rest of the place, Jaune put the book in his inventory. There were a few questions to ask. How did Zerlot discover the existence of mana? Did he split the soul into two? If he did, how did he split the soul?

Jaune was disgusted. _'How could such a warped man exist? Just how?'_ He could sort out the questions about MP and how it linked to the soul (as well as the Game) later on. For now, he had to deal with investigating the rest of the place, and it wasn't like Roman and Neo were going to stick around forever. Speaking of which, Roman began to walk towards Jaune. "Did you find anything?" Roman asked, still looking around for any traps.

"No."

Roman sighed. "Alright," He shrugged, before calling Neo. "Neo! We're going to head over!" Neo nodded - and began to walk with them.

* * *

T̵̜̔̂̕͜ḣ̴̛͕̞̮̄̿̚ẽ̸̠͙̻̬̚r̴̩̳͖̮̃͠e̶͉̫̮͖͈̾̎̋ ̷͍͈̺̀̌̀̎W̵̢̟̖̑̈́̋ͅi̴̧̟͖͕͋l̶̝̑̿̍̚ļ̵̜̜͙̏ ̸̖̱̙̲̃̿͌B̷͖̱̅̆̚e̷̛̛̱͖̲̬̼͑ ̸̪̐Ń̸̯̟̈́͛o̴̠̙̬͖̍͛͜ ̷̱̈́͝V̸̨̛͇͈̠i̵̱̠̾c̴̻̪̄́̄̾̓ẗ̵̫́͂̕̕ö̶̡̬̖̤̤́r̵̳̩̖̤̯͊̓̀̈̆ŷ̵͉̯͚̱̏̿̄̕ ̶͚̰̤͋̑͋̉̏T̴͎̼̙̔̀͊͜h̴̖̍̈́̾̍r̴̼̹̯̗̗̎͆̕̕ő̸̧͍͎͇̊͒̃̈́u̵̯͍̅̋g̷̟̦̓̊̿͊͘h̸͎̝͕̋ ̶̟̤̦̎͑S̷̺̼̀̏̑͆̿t̵̜͕̘͍̓ŕ̵͎̼͖̙ͅe̶͙͔͚͉͒̒̀͛n̷͎̟̓͗̐g̴̨͓͕͝t̴̖̏̍̄ḧ̷̟̜̮̻͔

* * *

As they step from the clanking black flooring onto the grey flooring of the ornately-decorated arena in the SDC Factory, the smartly-dressed Roman raises an eyebrow, whilst asking, "What kind of mad person would make a SDC factory into their own torture chamber?" Jaune crunched his face in disgust, and Neo gazed around the area with a raised parasol. "Roman," Jaune spoke, "You're the last person who should talk about someone being mad."

Roman rolled his eyes. "I'm serious. What kind of sick person would make all of this? It's disgusting." Jaune didn't respond; refusing to look at Roman or Neo. "Never mind." Roman looked at the centre of the room, a gargantuan platform that was shaped as a square, partially swallowed by small wires. Truth-be-told, all three were pensive; anything could come out now.

Three people walked towards a platform filled with bright lights, screaming sensors, and collapsed systems. The area around them was bleak; almost as if it was ripping itself apart, twisting into a monstrous fusion of metal and electricity. Nobody dared to touch any machines within the arena. Moreover, the arena's body was connected to a cluster of metallic structures holding itself upwards, stopping itself from being swallowed in the chasm below. The arena stopped, and the three were on-guard.

Jaune breathed in the horrible air, turning to Roman. "At this point, I'm wondering if we ended up drunk from the wine and had this shitty nightmare. It makes more sense than this bloody underground facility." Neo chuckled at Jaune's comment, but everyone was interrupted by a series of flashing screens before anyone could make a response. A quizzical shade forms over the three of them, especially Jaune's companions. But, Jaune might know better. He knew that something big was going to happen, and he had a bad feeling about it.

In his mind, the translation was: _'Everything is going to go to shit. Utter shit.'_

Jaune adjusts his poise, remaining motionless as he covered his eyes from the screaming light. It almost felt as if the light was threatening to blind him, to stop him from even seeing anything. A few moments later, the three heard the sounds of an elevator. It became louder and louder; showing that it was getting closer to the ground. Before stopping. Then, there was silence, and the three bated their breathes. What could it be? What if it was something horrible? That's the thing about ifs.

You never knew what would be the result; what happened next.

Then, the voice of a man seemed to be heard through the arena, and it made Jaune freeze. "Well. I didn't expect petty thieves to discover my underground hideout. Ah well, I've heard that the police are coming over via Bullheads, anyways."

It was Doctor Merlot.

Jaune spoke softly. "You're supposed to be dead; everyone in Mount Glenn died..." Merlot frowned, but his frown turned into a small smirk afterwards. "Any competent scientist would've escaped that madhouse. It was a shame - Merlot Industries didn't have much use after the incident..." His voice trailed off, but stopping. "No matter. I'm sure you three will be just fine; this is an excellent opportunity to initiate a few _tests._ " The three of them stood silently.

Roman smirked. "I wouldn't say that we're test subjects, doc." Doctor Merlot rolled his eyes at the nickname, and shook his head when he saw both Roman and Neo give small grins at his response. A second later, a gargantuan machine appeared behind Merlot, making the three brandish their weapons. Merlot walked behind the robot - pulled a lever and ascended up the floor whilst he was inside the elevator.

"You don't have a choice."

Merlot's laughter could've been heard until the elevator travelled to the next floor.

Meanwhile, the gargantuan machine had green veins inside of it, and it was fused with something. He didn't know what it was; but it seemed to be something familiar. What was it? It could've been anything: mana energy; a fusion of machinery; or something else? No, it wasn't those things. Jaune stood in silence as he gazed at a massive machine. It was infected with black spots that were spilling down its armour, only to show a massive Grim beginning to break out of the visor of the armour.

Then, nature and machine roared, before a metallic arm descended onto the platform.

* * *

 _ **~ Reviews & Responses ~**_

* * *

 ** _TheSetupMage:_** It's the size of an Atlesian Airship.

 ** _AbsoluteDominion:_** I'll admit, I didn't think the combat was similar to that of Dark Souls, but I see your point. Regardless, I greatly appreciate your comments, and will bring out more content for you all to see. Thank you.

 ** _ExS-DrIfTeRr:_** He pretty much had no time to think about it; really. Putting your thoughts into order would be the last thing you'd do on a crashing Bullhead that's being chased by a massive airborne Grimm. He's never calm in these situations.

 ** _Boblets:_** I agree with you there, but this chapter was necessary for lore and progressing to the exciting parts. Though, I doubt you'd think hell was boring if you were being punished for eternity (I'd be worried if you found hell to be boring.)

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc_**

 ** _LVL: 29_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _MP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _SP: 2900/2900_**

 ** _EXP: 180/12,895_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 18/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 69/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 23/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 37 [45]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 34 [42]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six hours after use.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	14. 14 - Mirror Mirror, Who's the Villain?

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"The cycle runs, it moves, and I keep moving forward and back -_**

 ** _'till I stop running and look at what I've done -_**

 ** _and then I snap."_**

* * *

 _Jaune hugged Ruby as she cried into his shoulders._

 _"What's wrong, Ruby?"_

 _"It's Blake," She confessed. "She ran away because of an argument my team had, and we're all really worried for her, especially because of the White Fang-!" She covered her mouth._

 _Ruby looked at him with sadness. "Just... hug me. I just needed to think right now, and Yang's too angry to stop arguing with Weiss."_

 _Jaune didn't hesitate to hug her._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _[If you are hearing this; this means that I have won.]_

 _[It was a pleasure to test you - but I'm afraid that I'll need to say my goodbyes.]_

 _[Farewell! Thank you for talking with me, Doctor Merlot, owner of Merlot Industries.]_

With that, Jaune heard no sound, except a fragile silence.

What had been an ornately-decorated floor became a monstrous fusion of metal, wires, and strings. Jaune didn't know what had happened after the impact - but when the fist collided with the floor, it had caused the entire area to collapse. Now, they were in total darkness, and Jaune couldn't stop himself from shaking. Jaune reached for the night-vision goggles in his pockets, put his mask down, and put the night-goggles on. A moment later, he was wearing his mask again.

Darkness or no darkness; he was terrified. He was scared, and nobody was around to stop his fear. Jaune couldn't stop shaking at every sound, every scratch, or metallic groan - but sooner or later, he'd be caught by the _monster_ that crawled within these dark depths. He felt his heart skip a beat, and he was feeling horrible because of his legs. Where was Roman? Usually, Roman would make a comment by now, and the fact he hadn't...

Jaune shook his head. _'No. He's not dead - and neither is Neo.'_ That thought didn't stop his feelings, it didn't stop his shaking, it didn't stop anything at all. With heavy hesitance; Jaune walked within the dark. He turned his mask away from the disgusting stench; desperately trying not to gag. He could feel something warm going down to his hand, and he noticed it was a dark shade of red. Blood. Jaune breathed in; refusing to let his guard down and walked. It felt like hours, days, weeks, but there was no end in sight. No end to a chasm filled with darkness - and he feared it would be his grave.

Then, upon the sounds of metallic scraping, Jaune hid behind a corner.

"I̴̮̚s̷̻͎̒ ̸̗̝̓ȃ̵̝̲n̵͕̮̂̓y̷̥̿ō̷̮͠ǹ̷̛̪͉e̸̥̥̅ ̴̖͔̀̓ṱ̵́h̵̹̾͒ȅ̴͖͍͠r̶̺̮͌e̸̳̝̽?̴̪̄͗ ̸͙̝͂C̸̥͍̾ǒ̷̠̭͊m̴̲̩̿ẻ̶͉̪ ̷̙̜̿o̵̱̯̒̄u̵̢͊̚ț̷̽,̷̰̟̒ ̴̥͚́ĉ̵̢͙o̴͖̎͘m̴̰͎̄ẹ̵͔͊̆ ̶͚̭̈́̔ò̴̢͍ů̴́ͅt̷̨̺͆~̸̦͍̌!̷̨͛" A moment later, Jaune heard a jarred version of Merlot's voice that scraped against his ears, and his feelings seemed to _amplify._ What had been a worrying terror had turned into a crushing fear; tearing any confidence Jaune may have had apart. It wasn't the voice that made him hold his own breath, but the fact that there was something who hunting them down that did. Merlot wasn't _just_ studying mana; those experiments weren't just curiosities filed on paper. _'Merlot was trying to emulate Penny,'_ Jaune paused in horror, _'However, Ironwood wanted an AI with a soul. Instead, Merlot must've failed and then programmed this machine to be some sort of lunatic AI; making it a mindless weapon. '_

They weren't hiding from a massive machine; nor were they hiding from a mutant Grimm. They were hiding from something else - something that shouldn't even exist. It shouldn't at all, and-

"Ì̴̺ ̶̢̐ǩ̴͖n̵̤̪̓õ̵̧̳̌w̵͙͈̿͑ ̴̢͍́́y̵̢̑͜ô̶̻̣ư̶̧̝̕'̸̳͈́͂r̴͎̯̒̆ę̵͗͝ ̶̹̹͐h̸̛͉̯̍ȅ̸̪͋r̶̨̋͒ẹ̷̊̀.̷̢̦̽̈́".

Jaune ignored the voice; refused to listen to its haunting sounds. Quietly, Jaune crept up, looking up ahead. A moment later - and Jaune ducked to avoid _its_ sight. Monstrous machinery was fused to small spots of what must've been black fluid - and the liquid was strewn across its mechanical arms and legs. Desperately, Jaune was trying to not gasp at how horrible it looked, and how disgusting the machine was. It was disgusting. Nothing else could describe its broken bolts, melted machinery, or dark blots that kept moving around its metallic body.

Again, he felt it. That horrible feeling of helplessness; the feeling of weakness that tasted like ash in his mouth. _'No,'_ Jaune thought, _'I can still escape and track down Merlot. There's still a chance.'_ Jaune shook his head, and crawled across the floor. A moment later, he made it into a hall of broken bricks, ripped sheets, and hollow equipment. The sound of silence was beginning to make Jaune erratic - and he kept turning to see if _it_ was following him. To his relief, there was no one there. But, then he looked to his right, and froze. He held his breath.

It was right there; looking at him. The thing was gazing at him. The silence was tense and horrible, but neither wanted to make a sound, expecting the other to act. Jaune expected a lurch of a sharp claw, but it did nothing. The machine just stood there, and stared, and stared... like as if it was looking at a beautiful picture. A moment later, the machine turned, and the thing groaned. It was almost as if the machine was moving randomly; making Jaune blink. Jaune scampered up a series of stairs, silently moving across the landing. Part of the floor turned; brandishing spikes for a few seconds. Then, it turned, and Jaune heard the same sound behind him.

Jaune jumped over the same spot; landing into another room.

Then, a hand landed on Jaune's mask, silencing Jaune's thoughts. He was looking at Neo and Roman, who were already silent. Neo wasn't able to communicate with them - and Jaune wasn't proficient when it came to sign language. Roman couldn't afford to talk - and it caused an horrible angle. With no way of verbal communication, Roman just walked ahead. Together, they were walking into some sort of laboratory.

 ** _[DUNGEON BOSS: "Grimlot"]_**

 ** _[Grimlot's HP: 5,000/5,000]_**

 _'Seriously? Grimlot? That's Grimm and Merlot mashed together...'_

In front of them was the horrible thing - and it was moving towards the gigantic machine from before. Black liquid leaked from its chest; showcasing red eyes within the broken glass. It was just like the other part of it; smaller but still deadly. The smaller robot climbed into the gigantic machine; wrestling control from the Grimm inside of it. Eventually, the massive machine turned on, giving a robotic roar that shook the area around them.

Roman sighed, "We're going to need a fucking break after this, we'll definitely need one." Jaune stood motionless, and his poise was finally recovered. Neo gave a small nod; turning to face the machine beyond them with a frown. Jaune sighed, "We all need one; I don't care if anyone speaks shit about it. Anyone who does can go get impaled by a trident."

Roman raised an eyebrow, "I'm surprised you didn't have a mental breakdown; you're still a newbie."

 _'I did have one, you annoying prick. It was thanks to past experience - and Gamer's Mind that I'm not dead.'_

Jaune sighed, "I got used to situations like this one." Roman's eyebrow raised further, before the three of them jumped backwards. A second later, there was a powerful punch puncturing only concrete; and Roman rolled his eyes. "Everyone loves interrupting us, don't they?" Neo shrugged; before firing nails from her parasol at the thing. However, the bullets couldn't even penetrate the thick armour, making Neo stare at Roman. "Seriously? I didn't know I needed to practice firing Melodic Cudgel; never mind the fact that I've had it for years." Roman aimed Melodic Cudgel at the glass, and the unstable flares bounced back at them.

Jaune fired a shot from his revolver; causing the flares to explode. Then, the three scattered across the area, dodging gargantuan fists that tried to crush them. The area shook along with the violent bang - and both machine and man stumbled. Grimlot released a gargantuan chain that stabilised the machine; and Jaune was already rushing up the chain to get to its chest. Then, Jaune tried to stab the daggers within the glass, only for the glass to knock his daggers back. Then, Jaune grabbed the chain and slid down it. Then, he dodged an arm that punched against the chain, causing it to shake.

 _'Flares and daggers can't get through the glass; what about Neo's parasol? No, that's stupid. The armour took unstable FLARES to the chest.'_ A few moments later, Jaune stood there in silence: _'Aura Adrenaline,'_ He thought - and he ran faster. Roman was using his grappling hook to fly up an arm, and blasted various unstable flares to keep his momentum and altitude. Roman was blasting through the area; dodging various lasers and blasts. Meanwhile, Neo raced towards Jaune, and grabbed his arm. Nodding, Jaune swung Neo into the air, and was swerving through broken rocks. Then, he stabbed one of the legs, and ripped out some armour.

Neo opened her parasol, and she moved towards the top of the machine's head. Instantly, she fired various nails at the ventilation shafts and was surprised when electricity began to burst out of what was a black rectangular shape of metal; she climbed towards the top of the machine. Meanwhile, Jaune ran; shooting at various mutated Grimm that were spawning via leaking liquids from the glass. Jaune shouted, "I think there's a mutated Grimm; and there's some other Grimm appearing out of the halls!" A few moments later, Neo descended down to the ground, and began slashing at various mutated Grimm.

Meanwhile, Roman was blasting flares down towards broken rocks, and an arm was sent into one of the walls. The machine tried to pull its arm out - but it couldn't. With a small smirk, Roman landed on the arm and kept firing at the visor. Then, the visor cracked into two, and shattered into various pieces.

A moment later, the machine collapsed, and a mutant Giant Beowolf clawed its way through the armour. Then, the Mutated Beowolf gave a fearsome howl.

 ** _[DUNGEON BOSS: "Grimlot/Mutated Beowolf"]_**

 ** _[Grimlot's HP: 2,500/5,000]_**

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part II ~_**

* * *

Within one of the abandoned rooms of the SDC facility; there is a cracked TV that keeps flickering. A moment later, it stops - and it switches to the news channel.

 _"Hello, my name is Lisa Lavender, and this is Vale News."_

 _"Reports have shown that one of SDC's abandoned factories has collapsed - and explosions have gone off. Various Vale Police squads have been dispatched along with various Huntsman teams. Headmaster Ozpin, what's going on with the situation?"_

 _"Hello; this is Headmaster Ozpin of Beacon Academy. There have been sightings of Roman Torchwick and two others within the factory - and we suspect that these people are responsible for the explosions. We are currently unaware of the reason why Roman Torchwick has, in fact, been present within the factory. However - Roman Torchwick is to be arrested on sight. Meanwhile, all nearby citizens have been evacuated from the surrounding area. "_

 _"As of the status on Roman Torchwick, what can you tell us about him?"_

 _"Roman Torchwick, as you may know, is a notorious thief. He focuses on stealing dust - and there is much speculation on why this is. It is most likely that Roman Torchwick is within the factory to discover if there is still dust in the catacombs of the factory."_

 _"Do you believe that there are any connections between this incident and the missing student, Jaune Arc?"_

 _"I'm sure. Jaune Arc - as you may know, is a man who wouldn't work with criminals. As you may know; a few months ago, Roman Torchwick almost killed Jaune Arc on sight. I believe that this place is where Jaune Arc is, and if not, he will be around the areas that Roman Torchwick frequents most. If so, two questions remain: how is he there, and why?"_

 _"Do you think that Jaune Arc may have taken the missing Bullhead to the island?"_

 _"That is a possible outcome, yes, it might be possible. However, it's strange that he went there by himself. I believe he went on his own because he didn't WANT to have his friends deal with risks - but that is only a possibility out of many."_

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part III ~_**

* * *

Instantly, the mutated beowolf fired various explosive barbs, and they gave a green glow. The barbs detonated; causing miniature rocks to fly across the platform. The world shook - and so did the Grimm before them. Roman adjusted his clothes, scoffing as he did so, "Of course, there's always the big bad wolf when there's a Grimm fight," He asked - and Jaune shook his head, "It doesn't matter; how about we focus on getting out here alive? That'd be a better idea."

Roman rolled his eyes - and shot a mutated Creep in the face. Immediately, Jaune dove into Roman, and they barely avoided an explosion. Roman pushed Jaune off, "What the hell? Why did you do that-?" Jaune pointed at the bloody black liquid that leaked from the detonated corpse, and Roman shook his head. Neo was firing bullets from her parasol; shooting a mutated Boarbatusk in one of its tusks. She tore the tusk off, and impaled the tusk into the Boarbatusk's head, watching as it gave a loud whine. Then, there was only a fading black as it dropped onto its back.

Jaune kept firing bullets from his revolver; shooting at a mutated Creep that then exploded near other Grimm, causing the weaker Grimm to fade away from the damage. Other Grimm had cracked armour, ripped limbs, and they were going berserk. Upon the sounds of people running behind them; Roman shot a flare at one door and watched as rocks in front of the door. Turning back to face the Grimm, Roman kept firing flare after flare, refusing to relent. At this point, Jaune was running out of ammo, and was desperately parrying attacks.

Neo dashed ahead, stabbing through many Grimm that were in the path of her parasol, various creatures were fading into shrouds of black - but nobody cared. Roman's grappling hook impaled the Mutated Beowolf - and he ran around its legs. Slowly, the Mutated Beowolf was losing its balance, and eventually fell when Neo gave a brutal lunge with her parasol. Meanwhile, Jaune looked behind them, checking the previous door. To his relief, only a few rocks were slowly coming off.

Roman turned to Jaune with a frown, "How long do we have?" Jaune gave a doubtful glance to the door behind them, developing a shade of uncertainty, "I'm not sure; I think we'll have five-to-ten minutes-" Roman nodded, "-Right, five-to-ten minutes. Well, in that case, we're blasting our way out." Torchwick aimed Melodic Cudgel at the roof - and fired. Tons of rocks descended onto the Grimm, and Neo managed to run back to them in time, avoiding the devastation.

With a chuckle, Roman spoke, "Grab on - and keep a tight grip. You'll need it," Together, the three managed to get onto the rooftops.

Jaune felt exhausted; he was barely standing after all of that fighting, and they were _finally_ about to escape. Then, they'd have a nice rest, and-

Exhaustion turned into exasperation, worry, and anger when he saw Team RWBY climb onto the roof. A silver-eyed Ruby stared at them; including him. Then, she recovered her poise and spoke, "-Torchwick! I knew you'd-!"

"-Oh for god's sake, Red! Can't you postpone our little fight until later?" Roman scowled - and began to fire a flare from Melodic Cudgel. Melodic Cudgel, however, only gave a small flare that Team RWBY easily avoided. "Oh goddammit, why do I have to run out of dust ammo at this time of day?" Jaune was surprised - has it really been that long? Had they genuinely fought so many times, going through trap-after-trap, fighting against so many Grimm for so long that it was already early in the morning?

Apparently, it was morning, and the sun was beginning to set out. Everyone looked tired, frustrated, and tense - and he was no exception. Jaune ignored the blurring of his vision; the horrendous pain in his arms and legs; and that his senses were beginning to overwhelm him. He knew he couldn't make any excuses about morality anymore.

Roman turned towards Neo and Jaune, the messy man raised an eyebrow, "You two," He looked at Team RWBY. "Deal with them." Roman fled via the grappling hook and ran to the nearest Bullhead. Jaune reloaded his weapon behind Neo, snarling with rapid breaths.

 _'I won't be able to fight Ruby with my speed; so I'll use [Aura Adrenaline].'_

Team RWBY were avoiding gunfire. With a grin, Neo rushed towards Blake, Yang, and Weiss. Jaune looked at a pensive Ruby - and grabbed his daggers, rushing at her with _[Aura Adrenaline]_. He didn't know how much MP, Aura and HP he had; but it wouldn't be long until he ran out of MP. Regardless, he wasn't going to give up, because he had _everything_ to lose. With a harsh lunge, Ruby barely kept her poise as Jaune slammed his daggers against her scythe, making a loud clang. Ruby gazed into bloodshot eyes - and Ruby began to give a determined expression.

Jaune rolled his eyes; gave a side-step to avoid her scythe and pulled off a roundhouse kick. Ruby managed to block the kick - but Jaune ducked underneath a bullet that was fired from the barrel of the scythe, its barrel giving a silent sound. Jaune sneered, "What kind of huntress would pull off such a move-?" Ruby interrupted him with a harsh swing; Jaune flipped over the scythe and slashed at Ruby with full force. Before Ruby could be hit, Yang slammed him into the concrete. Jaune gave a small smirk - and grabbed Yang's fists, giving a rough headbutt that allowed Jaune to get away from her.

Yang and Jaune could hear the building shaking from the fighting - meaning it wouldn't be long until it collapsed. Despite this, Yang and Jaune fought with fervour, refusing to give up. With red eyes looking straight into bloodshot ones; Jaune swerved through the area as Yang fired shotgun shells at him. Yang gave a powerful punch to Jaune's chest, and the force threw Jaune backwards. However, Jaune flipped over and slammed two daggers into the ground, stopping his momentum. Jaune felt harsh air go past his mask as he ducked underneath a punch, giving a kick to the stomach, only to feel Yang's hand grip his leg. With a callous smirk, Yang swung Jaune into the ground, smashing his face into the hard concrete.

He knew that, any moment now, his mask would begin to crack. _'Good thing that I have a second mask underneath this one; I did learn my lesson from last time.'_

As his first mask cracked, it revealed another copy of the first one, and Yang looked surprised. Jaune chuckled, "It's another mask." A moment later, Jaune turned, blocking a hit from Ruby's scythe. Then, he heard the concrete crack behind him, and he grabbed Ruby and swung her towards Yang. Then, Yang barely stopped herself from punching Ruby, before looking _enraged._ Her fists shook, her hair glowed a bright yellow, and her eyes were becoming a bloody red. Immediately, Weiss ran to Ruby's side, and Yang cracked her knuckles.

Jaune felt amazing. He finally had the power to change something, and it was _fantastic_. Jaune felt the rush of adrenaline as he grabs both of Yang's gauntlets; feeling his feet dig into the cracking concrete. Neo fires various nails at Yang; allowing Jaune to escape from her hard grip! But, Blake was now onto him. With ferocious slashes, Jaune clashes with Blake's blades; listening to the clinging and clanging of the weapons as they fought. With a small smile, Jaune fired a shot at Blake's face, but only a clone remained.

Seconds after the shot, Jaune jumped backwards with a blink, and blocked a back-stab. Jaune rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Wow. Do you want to straight-up kill me or what-?" Jaune watched Neo block a hit with her parasol; noticing Neo give her classic smirk to Blake. Jaune intercepted a hit from Ruby, watching as scythe and dagger clashed within the roaring rain and shook his head, "You're idiots; you don't even know what's going on. Why are you trying to stop us?" Rain dabbled down to the ground around them; Jaune could feel his clothes being mercilessly soaked.

Meanwhile, Ruby kept her poise, and the two of them were pushing their weapons against each other, and Ruby spoke, "Why are you doing this? What could you possibly get by hurting so many people?" Jaune's daggers pressed against Crescent Rose - but it wouldn't be long until Neo would stop distracting the other members of Team RWBY.

Jaune sighed, "Do you really _think_ I enjoy doing this?" Ruby looked at him at shock - and Jaune springs his knee up and gives a high kick. Ruby could feel her body shake as Jaune's daggers and leg pressed against her scythe, and Ruby held her breath, "Do you think that everything's so simple? That the 'bad guys' are always the people who refuse to follow Ozpin?"

Jaune watched as Neo fought Weiss, Yang, and Blake with a exhausted look on her face and spoke, "I appreciate your reasons for being here; but they're no better than mine. We're just following people, not even controlling our own lives, for what? To save people?" Jaune shook his head and frowned, "Ozpin controls anything and everything; he's probably used your parents and their parents as pawns at this point. Why trust a person who has made _so_ many mistakes?" Jaune looked to his right - and his eyes widened when he barely dodged a side-slash.

With another fierce swing, Ruby spoke, "Even then, doing so many bad things wouldn't be worth the effort because you'd forget your own values! If you do this, you'll just end up being as bad as the people you're working with! How does that make all of this worth it?" Jaune became silent; focusing on fighting Ruby. They danced across the area, swirling their weapons around and attacking each other with an unknown ferocity.

"Why do you care?" As Crocea Mors dug against Crescent Rose, he scoffed. "To you, I'm just another villain, another bad guy to wipe off Remnant. Don't claim to be a better person when you're just a fucking hypocrite!" Finishing with a scowl, he felt Ruby push him back, but who cares?

He just wanted her out of his way; to stop Cinder sooner.

Then, Ruby slammed her scythe into Jaune's armour, and causing him to fall down to his knees. Almost as if he was about to be beheaded on some chopping block. She swung her scythe back, and Jaune looked at her with horror. He noticed that his weapons were too far away from him - and he wouldn't be able to win. It was over. Except, Ruby didn't bring the final strike, the strike that'd end it all. The rain seemed to mock them with raindrops; as if it was crying for something to happen.

Amongst the breaking silence, something _did_ happen.

Apparently, being exposed to the screams of dancing weaponry and the five platforms in the rooftops rattling as they trembled against the force of the battle, the ruined banners of the SDC, the frigid air, and the blue blood-shot eyes of a solemn Arc as Jaune explained that to her that he _wasn't_ going to let this slide, had convinced Ruby that, perhaps, there was more to this man than she thought.

"You won't even kill me," Jaune whispered. "You just want us to lose. You want to beat us, turn us to the police, and have your happy ending. I'm sorry, but life doesn't go that way and it never will. Trust me," He shook his head at the silent Ruby, giving a sad smile as he did so. "You're a sweet girl, but don't bother dreaming about being a hero; dreamers die or become worse." Then, Jaune stood up, and looked at her in the eyes. The man who had sympathised with her was gone - and he was replaced by the man who'd lived on Earth. The man who was a _glitch._

 **"We're just people."**

Neo ran towards Jaune's back and brandished a different version of his own rapier. The sword was white, riddled with red patterns, and it possessed the symbol of ice-cream. When Jaune took the opportunity to retreat to Neo's side; he noticed that Neo looked like _shit._ She had black rings under their eyes from exhaustion; was shaking all-the-time due to the frigid weather and her eyes were blood-shot. Her hair was a complete mess from the rain - but Jaune didn't care. A few moments later, Jaune grabbed his daggers, and grinned. For once, both Neo and Jaune wanted to work together, to accomplish one goal:

To survive.

As they stood on top of this building both criminals ran with their swords with fearsome expressions with a greater fervour, and they swung their swords. Weiss swerved forwards; and glyphs travelled amongst them. Weiss danced around Neo - keeping her strikes steady and fierce, and Neo jumped on top of Ruby's scythe. Watching as the rapier bashed against it, her blade descended down a scythe. Sparks ran freely; and so did she.

Beyond them, the rain howled, almost singing to the battle below the raindrops. Helicopters seemed to flash lights from above, but nothing mattered to Neo or Jaune more than surviving this horrible dance. So, as Jaune slammed his daggers against the Blake's blade once again, he grinned. "Wow, I didn't know you had an obsession with cats," Blake's eyes widened; allowing Jaune to slash at her arm. Blake grabbed her arm, biting onto her sword and slammed it against Jaune's daggers with a ferocious anger that sprouted from her. Then, Jaune heard the sounds of flames, and Jaune grabbed one of Yang's fists, entranced by her hair glowing brightly.

Then, Yang spun him around, and slammed him down to the ground. With a grit of her teeth; Yang began to run, watching as Jaune's face grinded against the concrete. She swung him up to give a brutal swing; but her eyes widened at the sight of him blocking her gauntlets with his daggers. Upon the sounds of police dropping down to the rooftops, Neo cursed.

Jaune cursed. He knew that, eventually, he would lose because _they_ were, to his distaste, stronger than him. Jaune's armour and mask was almost completely broken, it was fortunate that his mask didn't reveal his face, but Jaune knew that they could see the colour of his eyes. Racing to Neo, he grabbed her arm and looked at her. With a quick wave, she cast an illusion, and watched as Team RWBY rushed towards it. They could see the area around them become nothing but decimate concrete, rocks and shaking bricks.

The mirror was broken into many pieces - and the criminals were gone. Then a few moments later, Team RWBY were dealing with the Mutated Beowolf from before.

It howled.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part IV ~_**

* * *

Jaune felt nothing.

As Jaune, Neo, and Roman were fleeing from the area, Jaune felt nothing. He was too tired to feel anything; too exhausted to even concentrate on what he was doing and wasn't being rational. He was just tired, ruined, and utterly beaten up over everything. He couldn't believe what he'd just done, but it was done. He couldn't take it back, and he was fortunate to even be alive.

He couldn't believe what he just did: he tried to straight-up harm Ruby; decimated a factory; completely _lost_ his self-control and he almost died. The only reason he was still alive was because it was _Ruby_ who almost killed him. How was he going to stop Cinder if he couldn't even control himself - and his actions? If he couldn't control his actions, how could he even hope to defeat Neo? Or Raven? Or even have a chance to stop Salem? Even if they had found Merlot; Jaune felt this was a failed mission. It was a complete cluster-fuck of a situation, and he didn't even know why he thought it was a good idea to go with them.

 _'It was because of_ the _EXP, wasn't it? That was the main reason why I went with them.'_ Now, he admitted it. He wanted to go because of the EXP; because he could get stronger sooner. He didn't think of the consequences of his actions; he didn't think about why he was going to a heavily-fortified factory in the middle of an island; he didn't think about it at all. EXP made him strong, and being strong meant of this time, he was obsessing about not being weak. Thinking about being someone who was stronger than Yang, faster than Ruby, better than Torchwick in every possibly way - and he lost himself to some sort of obsession about it. Was this just some obsession?

Was he _really_ better than Torchwick, Neo, or Cinder?

Jaune shook his head - and stared at the screen.

 ** _[Quest: "Playing The Role" Completed!]_**

 ** _[DUNGEON QUEST: "Another One Bites The Dust" Completed!]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 70,000 EXP, Roman Torchwick/Neo are available partners when you wear the Rat Mask/Title, Cinder Fall shows slight interest (bigger increase of interest due to Merlot Event), increased closeness to Torchwick/Neo, slightly increased closeness to Cinder Fall.]_**

 ** _[Four LVL Ups! LVL 29: - LVL: 33!]_**

 _'Wait, but what about the Atlesian Paladin-290?'_

 _ **[You chose the alternative pathway for the mission.]**_

 _'That means Roman and Neo will steal the Atlesian Paladin-290 when Ironwood arrives. Right.'_

Jaune sighed, turning away from the screen, and the red screen disappeared from his sight.

After that, he stared and stared, looking at the deep sea below his feet. Feeling frigid water beneath his feet, he shivered. He didn't understand Roman's ideals; why would anyone want to kill innocent people for their own survival? Men, women, _children._ There were many situations where killing was deemed a necessary act, but Roman _wasn't_ right in his ideals, but the man thought it was worth destroying many lives for his own sake. Why? What could make a man like him turn into someone like Roman?

 _'Well, what's the point?'_

Perhaps, he wasn't asking the right questions. Maybe, Roman killed others because _nothing_ mattered in Remnant; a world filled with eldritch things that want to kill everything in sight. Things that stress people out of their minds; things prowled a world filled with fake heroes, selfish bastards, and so much more. They took the values of everything; took it and remained _ungrateful._

Was that _why_ he was here? To pick up the pieces of Remnant and fix it? Was _he_ the only one who could help them see the value in life?

Words became silence; and the man watched the shores underneath roaring storms cry with its own tears.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

 ** _SeijuroRen:_** Yeah, it is rather annoying to deal with formatting in a Gamer! fic, especially when you're in the late-game/post-game parts. As for the whole pessimistic part, he's pretty much justified to act in that way. He pretty much lost everything at the last second - and he woke up in another world after dying.

Anyways, thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 33_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 250/3300_**

 ** _MP: 55/3300_**

 ** _SP: 125/3300_**

 ** _EXP: 12,660/17,055_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 39/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 7/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 43/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 37 [45]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 34 [42]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 28 [33]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 20_**


	15. 15 - First Interlude - RWBY & The Gamer

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 _ **First Interlude - Ruby Rose & Team RWBY**_

Even with prior experience, the suddenness of the situation still caught her by surprise. It was a gradual thing, something that kept building up in her chest and allowed her to slowly adapt, but it was still discomforting. The feeling of being played - it was something terrible. The man within that mask seemed so, so familiar, but who did he remind her of? Still, she remembered hearing the pain in his voice; the lingering doubt that kept its' presence despite his horrible excitement, and it broke her heart.

Then, he turned into something else. A terrifying monster who took pleasure in fighting them - as if they were just characters in a _game._

And at that moment, the way he shot Blake... he just acted like a man who just lost it. Ruby was the heroine, the girl who'd take the world by storm and make sure her teammates lived, but she couldn't help but imagine losing them. Between her conversations with Weiss, Blake, and Yang, something inside of Ruby seemed to change. Doubt. She saw the way he fought Blake, Yang, her... and he was completely exhausted. And what about the other girl? The ice-cream girl who managed to fight WBY without throwing everything she had at them; it made her doubt herself.

There were moments where "Rat" would just _stop._ It was almost as if he was stressed out - but he was desperately trying to hide it. Stress turned into doubt, doubt turned into melancholy, but that same sadness turned into determination. Ruby couldn't stop remembering those _blue_ eyes. Blue eyes that reminded her of Jaune; her first friend at Beacon. Those eyes would change into something warped; something that spat at Jaune. Something that made her quiver in disgust.

 _"You just want us to lose. You want to beat us, turn us to the police, and have your happy ending."_

Seeing Rat like that - seeing her own team struggle to live - made her feel very, very small.

What if Weiss was right all along? What if Headmaster Ozpin was wrong and she wasn't the right person to lead Team RWBY? After all, who could trust the man who has made more mistakes than any man, woman, or child? How could she even lead her own team if they can't rely on her? Her sister, Yang, was the brawler. Weiss was the one who analyses their plans; Blake could fight as well - and what about Ruby Rose? Now, she just felt as if she was at Signal again, like as if her uncle never trained her.

It didn't matter how many Beowolves she slashed into pieces; why would it matter? It didn't matter if 'Red' could defeat the wolves herself, not anymore. The feeling of excitement when she became a huntress-in-training; the feeling of nervousness that travelled up her spine when she came to Beacon; those things didn't matter. Not anymore. She was weak; Rat was strong. She wasn't strong enough to stop him - and she couldn't stop Torchwick.

A few moments later, Yang Xiao-Long walked towards the door and loudly knocked. With a small grin, Yang walked towards her, and grinned. "I've got some of that coffee you liked; two sugars." With a sad smile, Ruby grabbed the cup of coffee and spoke, "Thanks, Yang." After a moment of silence - and Yang was looking concerned, soft, like as if she was staring at someone who was small and helpless.

No. She was much more than that, _so_ much more.

Yang sat on her bed, quietly drinking a cup of coffee, "Is this about what happened with Torchwick?" Ruby nodded, and sipped from her coffee, it was warm as always and it was something that she became fond of. Drinking coffee was something that Team RWBY did, thanks to their anti-criminal activities, and it actually allowed them to connect with Team CFVY.

Ruby shook her head, _'I don't need to think about that. If anything, I need to talk with Yang.'_

So, with a sigh, Ruby grumbled. "Yeah." Yang nodded as Ruby spoke, "I'm just worried that I won't be able to lead Team RWBY, sis. What happens if we fight someone who is too strong? Someone who is as bad as Torchwick?" Ruby's voice became quiet - and Yang put her coffee down on the bed. Putting her arm around Ruby, she gave a confident smile. "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? We came out of there alive, and we uncovered a plot nobody knew about! We'll be fine."

But, Yang stopped talking when Ruby refused to give a smile, giving a small frown in its place. "What about Blake? Thanks to that Rat guy, she's gone. She confessed about her being a Faunus - and now Weiss seems to be in a bad mood when we talk about Blake. What if she ends up like Jaune, Yang? What if we never find her?"

Yang looked away - and sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, sis, but Blake might never come back. She might never be... here at all." Yang took another sip from her coffee, trying to ignore the feeling she had. _She_ refused to be weak, not like this, not when Ruby could see her in such a state. Yet, remembering how stressed Ruby was, it just made her want to hug her. To tell her that it'll be all okay; that everyone's okay and smiling like always.

But, that was a lie.

Ruby put an arm on Yang's shoulder, making her look at her little sister, "I know. It's just... Jaune's disappearance shocked us all, you know? I never imagined that he'd just go poof and never come back." Ruby shook her head, "I don't want you to be gone, sis. What about Weiss? Pyrrha? Ren and Nora?" Ruby looked away, " _You?_ I don't want you to go, too..."

Yang gave a small, sad smile, before putting on her usual grin. "I'm Yang Xiao-Long, sis! I'll never run away from you, or just go away, okay?" Yang brushed Ruby's cheek - and looked into her silver eyes. "I'll always be there-" Ruby shook her head, and sighed. "Don't lie, Yang."

Yang's grin dropped, and she seemed to say nothing. What could she say to cheer Ruby up? Yang didn't think that there was anything to say; anything that would make Ruby smile again. No matter how much she _wanted_ her little sister to give her a cheery grin, talk about weapons, or munch on cookies, she knew Ruby wasn't going to get out of her stump.

A moment later, Weiss walked into the dorm, carrying a cup of coffee herself. Of course; Weiss raised an eyebrow at the sight of Ruby's expression and settled her cup down onto the wooden table. Yang looked at her; noticing Weiss giving her a glance. With a look of subtle curiosity, Weiss sat down on the bed besides Yang and Ruby. She sighed, "Is this about Blake?" Ruby nodded; Yang began to speak, "Kinda," She remarked, "It's a little about what happened earlier this week, too."

Weiss looked at Ruby, and frowned. "Ruby, I'll be... blunt." She hesitated, "At first, I was angry towards Blake because of her Faunus heritage, and I know how bad that sounds!" She put a hand up to stop Yang from interrupting her, and her voice became quieter, "The White Fang have taken so much of my family away for so many years. _How_ could I look at her when I know she was apart of the White Fang? The same group that has been at war with my family for so long, executing so many people, causing so much destruction... and for what? Faunus equality? They're asking for a human version of the White Fang to come up and repeat the cycle."

She sighed, "That was why I was awful to Blake; she was a former member of the White Fang. I guess, I refused to see it from her point. When I thought about it again, I saw why Blake felt so angry and upset."

Yang gave her a dry look, "You did hurt her feelings. A lot."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Of course, you dunce! That's the point I've been making this whole time!" She sighed as her voice became quiet, "Sorry. I shouldn't have snapped." She looked away from the two - but Ruby put her cup of coffee down on the wooden floor. "Look, you two." Weiss and Yang turned towards her, becoming quiet at the look of determination on Ruby's face, "We're going to find Blake, we're going to stop Torchwick - and we'll definitely deal with that 'Rat' guy. Alright? Weiss is sorry for what she said, Blake is sorry for what she said, and us three want to find Blake."

Yang looked at Ruby, "Well, how are we going to find her in a city like Vale?" Weiss looked at her with surprise - but refused to comment on it. Ruby rolled her eyes, "Well, we're going to look for her, and hope that we actually find her. That's a great idea, isn't it?"

Yang gave a small grin, "Are you being sarcastic?" Ruby gave a small smile, before she giggled. "Yeah, I guess." Weiss gave a small smile - and then the three stood together. A few moments later, they were walking out of Beacon Academy, about to board the next airship to Vale.

As they watched the scenery below; Weiss turned to face them, "I believe the police would make sense; they would've dealt with cases like these." Ruby looked at her, paused, and shook her head. "They're already busy with the dust robberies, finding Jaune-" For a moment, she frowned, "-And the factory. Besides, wouldn't Blake be alarmed if the _police_ were looking for her?"

Yang frowned, "I guess - but where would she hide? If I was Blake Belladonna, where would I go?" Then, she paused, "To where the White Fang are." Ruby and Weiss looked at her, before nodding. "Well, that would make sense," Weiss concurred, "But where would _they_ go? If they were hiding in the middle of a city, what place would be the most efficient area to hide at?"

Ruby looked at Weiss, "We can always ask Penny." Weiss cocked an eyebrow, shaking her head. "Penny? Really? Sure, she's far more coordinated..." Yang sent her a look as a warning, "-But I think she isn't reliable when it comes to finding Blake."

Yang chuckled, "We may as well try; we never know what'll happen. Besides, she's the only person who would have any idea of Blake's whereabouts." Yang shrugged - and the three watched the airship descend down to the platform. They listened to the humming of the engines, and they gazed at the variation of vivacious plants and trees. Unsurprisingly, sycamore trees were there too, considering they were common around Vale.

"About whose whereabouts?"

Yang, Ruby, and Weiss turned around to see who interrupted them, only to see Penny. Ruby put a hand on her chest, breathing in and out to calm herself down, "Penny," She looked at her, "Where did you come from?" Unsurprisingly, Penny ignored the question and decided to ask a question. "What are you guys doing?" It was silent - but Ruby decided to speak, "We're looking for Blake; she went missing a few nights ago. Have you seen her?"

Penny stood there fixated, creeping all three of them out, only to see Penny blink. "Oh! Blake? The cat faunus?" Then, Weiss raised an eyebrow, "How do you know Blake's a faunus?" Penny stood there - and gave a small smile. "Well, she wears a bow, why would you wear a bow unless you were hiding something?" Of course, the conversation dissolved into an awkward silence, and Weiss palmed her face and sighed. "Right, we should've figured that out-?"

Then, Penny rushed towards Ruby and grabbed her shoulders. "Anyways, she's missing?!" Penny exclaimed - and her eyes widened, "Well, in that case, I won't rest until we find your friend!" Ruby looked awkward - and was trying to not be rude towards her at all, but she did like invading personal space. "Err, Penny?" Penny turned towards Yang, "Could you _not_ go around grabbing people's shoulders like that? It gives them a fright; you wouldn't want to scare people, would you?"

Penny blinked. "Oh! I'm terribly sorry," Penny dusted Ruby's shoulders, and stepped back. "So, how about we find your teammate, and sort this out?" Ruby looked at Yang who shrugged - and Weiss slowly moved a palm to her face in exasperation. Ruby sighed, "Alright, Penny. Let's go."

* * *

 ** _First Interlude - Blake & Team RWBY_**

The White Fang.

An organisation that she once liked, an organisation that one time, she admired. Every protest made her feel as if she was making a difference - but it couldn't have been any further from the truth. Fear had caused a symbol of peace to turn into a bastion of violence, changing many lives for the worst, especially those in the SDC. To be frank, she wasn't surprised to learn that her team took the news of her being a Faunus badly, but she still felt a pang in her heart over it. But, she understood why they felt that way, and perhaps Weiss wasn't as childish as she thought. Perhaps, she was wrong.

But, it didn't matter anymore. She ran from Beacon - and she was trying to deal with her situation. If she returned now, Ozpin would ask for information about the White Fang - and Blake wouldn't be able to fake her way through it. Ozpin was an _extremely_ perceptive man; but no average person ever takes the role of Headmaster in a Huntsman Academy, so was it really surprising? No, it wasn't.

So, as Sun crawled near her, Blake raised an eyebrow. "Breaking the law again?" She asked - and Sun raised an eyebrow, "Weren't you in the White Fang? I thought breaking the law would've been-!" The look that she gave him seemed to make him exclaim, and he used gestures of peaceful surrendering. _'Of course, Sun isn't the kind of person to spearhead a confrontation. He's too nice.'_ Blake sighed; Sun was a nice person but his kindness did annoy her. Perhaps, it was because she wasn't used to facing that kindness as a _Faunus?_ Any kindness she'd receive in Vale would be because of the fact that nobody knew of her heritage - and they'd turn their backs on her if she confirmed that same heritage.

There was a reason why she didn't trust many people, these days.

Suddenly, air flew through the rooftops, forcing Blake and Sun to grab onto the concrete of the floor. Then, they were lower than before, and Blake couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.

She didn't want to believe it.

She didn't want to believe her eyes, or rather, what she saw. With Sun, she watched as a Bullhead flew past them, and various members of the White Fang were patrolling the place. For once, she could say that it wasn't a shame that the White Fang's capabilities were worse than before, otherwise the situation would've been harder to deal with. Despite that, Blake couldn't stop looking at the men and women below who worked for the White Fang.

But, her disbelief became anger when she gazed at Roman Torchwick and Rat, himself. She watched as that exasperating yet horrible duo step down onto the ground, and she noticed how Rat seemed to look away when Roman sent his kind regards towards her fellow Faunus. It was strange for a person who'd ally with Roman Torchwick of all people to do that, which made her curious. What kind of person was that guy? Well, it'd be something that she'd figure out, later.

Anyways, Torchwick was a disgusting man - and anyone who thinks that he can be redeemed is either an idiot or has never met him. She had met many people in her life - and Torchwick was one of the worst people on the planet. Without a doubt.

Of course, Torchwick was the kind of person who needed to be dealt with.

With that, Blake brandished Gambol Shroud and descended down the building, landing with a quiet thud.

* * *

 _ **First Interlude - The Gamer & Roman Torchwick**_

This was going to be one of _those_ days, wasn't it?

He, The Gamer (not sure if he was comfortable with being Jaune Arc), was going to have that kind of day. Between his conversations with Cinder (she was definitely going to do something soon), talking with Cinder's two _friends_ , robbing dust shops that happened to have the same blind man working in them, nothing was more tiring than dealing with the White Fang. Sure, Roman's remarks gave him entertainment, but he was going to shoot himself in the head if he heard one remark from some other idiot.

So, he vowed: "If I ever get an asinine comment from a member in the White Fang ever again; I will shoot myself in the foot." Of course, he was being sarcastic, and he'd be worried for his own mental stability if he actually became serious about that. Regardless, it didn't matter much, but it wouldn't be long until someone called him.

A few seconds later, his scroll began to ring.

Moments later, Emerald Sustrai appeared on the screen, and Jaune spoke, "Hello, this is the most useless postman in Vale. How can I help you?"

Jaune could _imagine_ Emerald's eyebrows raising at that remark, before listening to her speak. "Rat. A group of huntresses are heading towards your location, tell Roman Torchwick to prepare for them."

Jaune sighed, "Ah, shit. Alright, I bet you my right arm that it's Team RWBY."

Emerald paused, most likely rolling her eyes, before speaking. "No, it's Team JNPR. Meet me at 5PM so that I can take your right arm from you."

Jaune blinked, "Why are you being sarcastic?"

Mercury spoke. "It's because she's a bitch-" Mercury stopped speaking and Jaune rolled his eyes. Of course, Emerald and Mercury _always_ argue with each other via verbal spats. Working with Cinder Fall and the rest of her allies wouldn't be the same if Mercury and Emerald _weren't_ arguing like idiots. But, on the bright side, it gave him an excuse to get a few cups of coffee. He ought to thank Neo for stealing a few things.

Then, Emerald sighed. "For fuck's sake, Mercury, I'm speaking-" Jaune heard Mercury give another comment - and he imagined him smirking at Emerald's response. "-It's Team RWBY and a huntsman from Vacuo. Two of them, Blake Belladonna and Sun Wukong are heading towards the port."

Jaune chuckled, "Alright. Thanks for the information," He smirked, "-And please sort out your verbal spat problems-!" Emerald ended the call.

As Torchwick lifted his cigar upwards and lit it, the smartly-dressed Roman Torchwick chuckled, "So," He looked at Jaune, "Are you ready for a rematch?"

Within his mask, Jaune rolled his eyes, before standing silently. In response, Roman rolls his eyes as well, and seemed to give a light punch to Jaune's shoulder. "Come on, Rats! Don't you love messing with the sewers? The dirty life in Vale?" A moment later, Jaune sighed. "Honestly, Roman, why are you so daft?"

Roman put his hands into surrendering gesture, mocking Jaune with a small smirk, "Why, Rat! I didn't know you actually had the balls to insult me!" He pretended to gasp, making Jaune palm his mask and it wasn't surprising when Roman seemed to guffaw. With a pat on Jaune's shoulder, Roman grinned. "God," He wiped a tear from his visible eye, "That never stops annoying you, doesn't it?"

Jaune sighed, "It annoys me more than your bloody make-up; how many hours do you spend putting makeup on?"

Roman blinked slowly, "Five hours."

Jaune stared at him, "Five hours? How the hell can you even plan your robberies in Vale? Are you some sort of wizard-?"

Roman frowned, "Yes, Rat. I'm a wizard. Now, did you know that I could magically use my flares to fly to an island-?"

Jaune cleared his throat, "Alright, stop the sarcasm, you might kill me with it." Roman laughed, shaking his head.

Suddenly, Roman looked at the Bullheads with a frown, "Returning to the point, Rat, will you not break down in your fights? It's a dangerous habit."

Jaune sighed, "Alright, I'll _try_ to stay calm. But, if something happens-!"

Roman put one of his hands to Jaune's mask, "No. You will stay calm - and if anything happens, you will tell me. Alright? Don't worry; these kids will lose easily."

Jaune grumbled, "They won't be as easy as you think."

Then, Jaune stood rigid. "You might want to prepare yourself-!"

Gambol Shroud was behind Roman Torchwick's neck - and the blade was dangerously close to his skin. Blake frowned, "Brothers of the White Fang! Why are you aiding these scum!" Roman shook his head, but stopped when Gambol Shroud actually cut a bit of his skin. In his mask, Jaune raised an eyebrow, but slowly walked towards Roman and Blake, reloading his revolver.

Jaune rolled his eyes, "Brothers of the White Fang! Why aren't you running at this annoying woman?" Suddenly, Sun Wukong descended to the concrete below him, and landed in front of the White Fang members.

Roman turned towards Jaune - and nodded. "Do you know what you need to do?" Jaune nodded, "I know. The two of us will be having a rough fight, but I don't think it'll be too hard."

Then, Sun cracked his knuckles.

* * *

 ** _Reviews & Responses_**

* * *

 ** _TheSetupMage:_** Nothing could save Jaune from the situation he is in - not even the greatest GameShark codes or a million macros.

 ** _Gerold:_** He doesn't really need to, not now anyways. He'll definitely get some of stats in the 50s really soon, though.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 33_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3300/3300_**

 ** _MP: 3300/3300_**

 ** _SP: 3300/3300_**

 ** _EXP: 12,660/17,055_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 16/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 94/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 19/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 30 [35]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 30 [35]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 3_**


	16. 16 - Capoeira

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Ever on and on, I continue circling with nothing but my helplessness in a cycle of guilt -_**

 ** _'till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing and suddenly I see that I can't even stop myself -"_**

* * *

 _"Don't be so silly," Dad said, a teasing light in his eyes. "It doesn't suit you."_

 _Jaune smiled coyly, rolling his eyes, and dramatically lifted Crocea Mors up in the air. He wore a dramatic expression, and slashed a dummy in half._

 _Dad laughed with glee as the dummy's insides erupted across the ground, showering them in hay. His laughter became infectious and he started chuckling, himself. His eyes rested on him, warm and loving._

 _"Silly lad," Dad scolded him. "Now, watch and learn."_

 _Grabbing his mighty axe, he gave a sideways swing that sliced what looked like an army of dummies into two. Once again a shower of hay descended upon the two. Jaune stopped struggling, and decided to laugh freely. His hands clapped together and he applauded how Dad managed to decimate an army of dummies with one swing. Dad bowed lowly._

 _He then straightened up, a smile on his face. Reaching out with a wrinkled hand, Dad rubbed Jaune's forehead with a nostalgic glint in his eyes._

 _"I love you, kiddo."_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 ** _A shame that you abandoned them, you disgusting idiot._**

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

Jaune, the man in the mask, was waiting quietly; it would take only a few moments until he and Roman would have to fight. On one of side of the docks there was a few Bullheads, and on the other, a narrow passage leading into the sewers. The port was a series of massive platforms adjacent to each other, only separated by a small gap in-between the hatches below. And scattered across the crates were a number of Jaune's possessions; for, being more permanent than Cinder Fall's other postmen, he could leave his things about for only a _few_ moments.

As Roman and Jaune stood further away from the White Fang and Sun Wukong, they were standing silently, waiting for Sun to brutally beat his opponents. Roman looked away and lighted another cigar - and Jaune listened to the sounds of clinging and clanging that vibrated through the area. Meanwhile, he glanced at the screen in front of him, carefully looking towards the sea in thought.

 ** _[QUEST: "Amidst The Fog"]_**

 ** _[Fight the attackers - and don't hold anything back.]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): (EXP varies on how well you do,) increased closeness with Torchwick and the White Fang, you begin to earn more of Cinder Fall's interest, quest-line continues.]_**

 ** _[Failure/Refusal: Arrest, possible death, injury, etc.]_**

 _'Any moment now, Sun.'_

Finishing the organisation of his ammunition and weaponry, he sighed - and Roman glanced at him with a raised eyebrow. Listening to the sounds of silence; Jaune nodded, giving Roman a look. With the sound of a sigh, together, the two of them walked towards the area and decided to hide in the fog. Meanwhile, Jaune partially took of his mask to think, tightly gripping his daggers with a frown. "Do you want me to go up ahead?"

Roman nodded, "Distract them; I'll get the escaping part sorted." With a slow nod, Jaune stood up, walking out of the fog to look at Sun and Blake. When Sun and Blake noticed him, they brandished their weapons, frowning at the sight of him. After some silence, Sun raised an eyebrow, "Seriously? He just sends out _one_ guy? Talk about desperate. Right, Blake?" Sun looked to his side again, not noticing that Blake was gone.

Blake was running towards Rat with a glare, giving a ferocious slash. Blake and Jaune listened to the sounds of clanging, watching in silence, as they slammed dagger and sword against each other. With powerful punches, Jaune gazed at Blake as she kept grabbing fist after fist - before Jaune sprung his leg up in the air to kick Sun. To his surprise, Sun's foot slammed against his and Jaune felt his leg being pushed back. Then, he slid back, jamming his daggers into the ground to keep his momentum. Jaune aimed his revolver; watching as a hailstorm of bullets were being fired from opposite sides, but it wouldn't be long before Blake caught up to him.

Pulling his daggers out of the concrete, Jaune did a back-flip and grabbed Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang; but, Sun collapsed his weapons into nun-chucks, forcing Jaune to land down with a hand-stand. With a fierce kick from the ground, Jaune leaped into the air and his blue eyes stared at Sun Wukong, who hurtled his nun-chucks towards Jaune. At the sounds of bullets, Jaune seemed to almost dance as he dodged shotgun shells, before giving a few punches that Sun blocked. Jaune ducked underneath black blades; feeling the harsh air run across his face. Jaune grinned.

With a ferocious kick, Blake's blades went flying out of her hands - and Jaune was already swinging her around. After a mighty swing, Jaune gave a fierce _punch_ , listening for a massive thud. Meanwhile, Sun dashed at Jaune with a glare, and the two were clashing fiercely in the fog. Blake landed on the floor with a massive thud; however, she stood up with a glare.

Sooner or later, Sun's attacks became _brutal_. Every hit felt as if he was getting hit by a train, but Jaune didn't relent. He _couldn't_ relent. He had to get back to his revolver - or he wouldn't be able to set up a distraction to recover.

Fiercely, Sun began to fire shotgun shell after shotgun shell, refusing to stop attacking. Jaune bit the skin of his lip; knowing that he couldn't hold anything back, either. With a single thought, Jaune began to become quicker, ferocious, just like he was at the rooftops. Sun's eyes lit up with surprise - but he didn't relent, either. Jaune couldn't stop feeling the adrenaline in his chest, how _excited_ he was, to fight.

For the first time ever, Jaune was _strong._

With a grin, Jaune began to slam his daggers into Ruyi Bang and Jingu Bang; listening to the harsh clangs in the fog. Meanwhile, Blake watched as the two clashed with blades and bullets, before rushing at Jaune. Jaune believed he couldn't be more _thrilled_ ; but he was wrong. He didn't want to stop being _strong_ , to be able to fight his own battles, to be able to keep fighting no matter what.

Now, Ruby wasn't the only one who was determined.

Whilst Blake and Sun worked together, Jaune kept swerving out of the way. One mistake could end it all for him; he could lose with one mistake, but he wasn't going to stop slamming his daggers to block weapons. He didn't stop as he swerved to avoid bullets at a greater speed than before, and he certainly didn't stop when Blake and Sun began to use clones.

Jaune leaped onto a wooden landing, deciding to run across the landing as Blake's fire clones appeared behind him. Jaune jumped off the landing - and he barely missed the explosions behind him. Some of his clothes were damaged from the fire, and judging from the disgusting stench of burned clothing, it meant that his armour was partially ruined. With a frown, Jaune ran towards Sun's clones, watching as Sun and Blake ran towards him. Then, they were interrupted by an unstable flare.

A frowning Roman Torchwick stood - and he pointed at Sun. "Well, you _really_ aren't the smartest banana of the bunch, aren't you?" He shook his head - and smirked, "Honestly, kids these days." His smirk turned into a grin when Jaune's mask turned towards him; then, Roman fired a volley of unstable flares at Sun's clones. Jaune was fighting against Blake and Sun - but he knew it wouldn't be long until Roman came back.

Jaune landed with a handstand and spun around, landing only to block a hit from Sun. With a worried expression, Jaune kept swerving out of various bullets, blocking a few hits from Sun's nun-chucks; but, he was barely blocking them and was trying to not lose his posture. With a cheeky grin, Sun slammed his nun-chucks down into his mask; and, with a brutal whirl at his mid-section, Jaune tumbled into a crate with a loud bang.

Looking at the hangar above, Jaune grabbed his gun and was about to fire at the crane, only to hear a small click. Cursing, Jaune's thumb of his firing hand cocked the gun, advancing the cylinder to the next round and locking the chamber in place whilst being aligned with the barrel. Suddenly, Jaune felt pain in his hand from Sun's side-wards kick, glancing at the revolver that was only at the left side of the crate.

"Oh, for fuck's sake. Can't you let an enemy sort out his gun?" Jaune grumbled, hiding how panicked he was; for, he couldn't let them know that he was worried. With a cocked eyebrow and a sword to his throat, Blake spoke, "Your operation." Jaune rolled his eyes, "Yeah? What about it-?"

The blade was beginning to dig into his skin, causing it to bleed. Sun looked at Blake as she grit her teeth, "Why are the White Fang here? Tell me, or I'll end your operation." Jaune paused; glancing at the black blade that was rather _close_ to cutting his throat open. With a glare, Jaune spoke. "Why should I tell you - and how do I know you'll spare me if I do?"

With a sigh, Blake spoke. "You don't like doing this; don't you?" Jaune stopping staring at the sword at his throat; looking at Blake. Blake, who had that infuriating _look_ , as if she was staring at a pitiful child. "You hate it - and I know you do. You don't insult the Faunus, you don't want to hurt us, and you don't even want to be a criminal. You're just a guy who isn't on our side." Jaune looked away, and there was only silence.

After a few seconds, Jaune spoke. "You're right. I don't _want_ to do this; but I have to." He darted his eyes away from the duo, and his tone made him sound tired, as if he was sick of doing these things. "I asked your leader, the red-haired girl, if she thought I really wanted to do this." Jaune's voice became quiet, like some sort of wispy whisper, and he just sat there. "I think you should support her; be there for her. I don't think I ever saw more doubt on anyone's face, really."

Jaune chuckled. "Anyways, I don't blame her, or you, or _him_." Jaune glared at Sun - who pointed to himself. "But, what can I say? I'm just a criminal on the streets of Vale - so just get it over with."

Blake and Sun looked at each other - but Blake spoke. "No."

 _'What?'_

Jaune stared at Blake. "What do you mean, no? I tried to kill you - and I almost forced your partner to hurt her own sister."

Blake frowned. "You're a good person; I know you are. If you were a good person-!"

Jaune snarled. "-Then I wouldn't have done all of this. I wouldn't have gone to the factory with Roman and his partner, I wouldn't have saved his partner's life, I wouldn't have tried to kill you or the rest of your bloody team. Can't you realise that, sometimes, you have to do the things that you _need_ to do? Not the option that is easy, or the option that is kind, but the one option that is the best solution for you and everyone else? It's common sense."

Then, Jaune fired at the crane above, and both Sun and Blake swerved out of the way. In the fog, Jaune hid.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~_**

 ** _~ Part II ~_**

* * *

When Roman heard Ruby's voice, he _knew_ that this situation was a cluster-fuck; and, it wasn't like Rat was having a much better time. Despite that, Roman knew that he needed to fight her - to see if she could be distracted whilst Rat dealt with the two idiots who decided to attack a massive amount of White Fang members.

Seriously? Who could be so stupid to ambush others without any subtlety? To only fight without any information; and letting your own emotions get in the way?

Besides, having information was a significant aspect of being a criminal, one that allowed him to survive for so long.

Nevertheless, Roman stood; but, he was surprised to see that Ruby glared at him. With a small smirk, Roman spoke, "Oh? So, you do get out of bed when it's your bedtime. Well, that's surprising, isn't it? _Red._ " Roman grinned at the look of anger that Ruby, to his own surprise, was showing. Then, he cocked an eyebrow at the sight of another person. Another obstacle. "Anyways, who's your friend? She looks rather... concerned." Her friend did look concerned - but her expression turned into a frown when Ruby whispered something to her.

Ruby stood. "Penny, this guy isn't a nice guy. He and his friends are trying to hurt us." She looked at Penny - and brandished her scythe with a glare. Who knew Red had a back-bone, after all? Did Rat and Neo do something to her, or was it more than that? Regardless, it didn't matter, and he was going to fight them with or without his contemplation.

Penny frowned. "Don't worry Ruby," She gave a determined look - and Roman was surprised to see _swords_ sprouting from her back. Lifting up Melodic Cudgel; Roman waited for the right time to strike - and it would come soon. With a small glance, Penny spoke. "I'm combat ready!" As soon as those words drifted from her mouth, Roman knew that he was in for one hell of a fight.

So, with a small grin, Roman readied Melodic Cudgel and fired at the two. Roman watched as Penny swerved through the area; using her own swords as a hover-board across the rooftops. Meanwhile, Ruby laid at the back, using her own sniper rifle. _'I reckon that she's going to try and distract me - and her friend is going to be the hard-hitter.'_

A second later, Penny was descending down towards Roman with a grin, gazing at him with her own green eyes. Roman lifted Melodic Cudgel to block a hit - and Ruby watched as the duo danced across the balcony with their weapons, it was almost as if they were playing their own song - and neither of them refused to stop focusing on the other. Meanwhile, Ruby fired shot-after-shot, noticing Roman deflect them back towards the brick-wall that stood silently. When a sword swerved, Roman would always fire flares at it, the force pushing back the swords immensely.

With a frown, Penny seemed to almost fly towards Roman, and her swords were already gaining speed. Roman was swinging his cane around with quick spins, dancing around the battlefield as each slash and clash ended with loud clangs. The clangs seemed to roar in their ears - and the world seemed to only focus on them. Penny made her swords form a shield as Roman fired flares at her; cocking an eyebrow to show that he was impressed.

He was impressed; he really was. Who knew that Red had such weird, but powerful friends?

Then, Ruby descended from above, slamming her scythe into his cane with a look. He recognised the _look_ , that one look when someone was about to give it their all, and he knew that Cinder needed to know some more about Team RWBY. So, with a small grin, he spoke. "Wow, Ruby. You _sure_ are being useless-!"

Ruby _slammed_ her scythe on Roman's cane, watching as the two weapons seemed to bash against each other in the fog, but Roman was still smirking. The infuriating smirk was getting to her - and it wouldn't be long until Roman would get a lucky shot. So, with a frown, Penny hurtled her swords into a circular shape - and was beginning to form a laser in the middle of the circle. "Ruby! Ruby turned - and Roman smacked Ruby with his cane, watching her get hurdled across the concrete.

With a glare, Penny released the beam at Roman, watching as he took one side-step to dodge it. Roman's small grin couldn't have been bigger - and he applauded. "Bravo! Bravo! See, Red? SHE is what you call an actual hero. Not one who sacrifices themselves for others - but one who can make tough decisions when necessary. That way, she'll survive in a world that doesn't care about her or any other 'heroes' who want to save the day." Then, Roman aimed Melodic Cudgel at Ruby.

Meanwhile, Ruby asked. "Why are you doing this-?"

"-None of your damn business, Red! I do have a lot to lose - and I admit, I've grown to care about a few people." Roman smirked. "But, I won't let my emotions blind me, unlike you. I won't let myself get eaten by some Grimm; I'm not an incompetent criminal!" He fired a few flares at Penny, who did a few back-flips to avoid the blasts.

"Meanwhile, I'll just cheat, steal, and lie to survive. That's always been the way of the world - and it wouldn't be healthy to ignore that mantra, _Red._ " He fired an unstable flare at Ruby; watching as Ruby dodged with her immense speed. Glaring, Ruby ran towards Roman with a massive scythe - and the weapons clanged within the fog. Ruby and Roman slammed cane against scythe, whirling across the ruined rooftops like as if they were crafting a story. Both of them were determined to stop the other.

Then, Roman and Ruby landed down on the concrete below, and the two looked at the other in silence. The air blew across their faces; and, they ran towards each other. The concrete cracked under the pressure of their combined force; before small pieces of rock scattered across the area. With a look of rage on her face, Ruby kept slashing and slashing, hoping for Roman to make _one_ mistake. One mistake, and she'd take advantage. However, Roman frowned, and began to fight at an even quicker pace.

Ruby was using her semblance during this fight, but Roman was still _fighting_ _._ Ruby gave a volley of kicks; kicks that were blocked by Roman's arms and legs. The docks had turned into a battle-field riddled with the sounds of violence; the roaring of the relentless winds; and nobody was going to give up. Then, at the last moment, Ruby's face was hit by the cane. She slid across the platform, tumbling to a halt. Then, she tried to get up.

A moment later, Penny was by her side - and the rest of Team RWBY arrived. Ruby stood up with a look of defiance; expecting Roman to attack them. However, Roman fired a flare, forcing all of Team RWBY and Penny to dodge.

Then, he was gone.

* * *

 ** _~ TFNF ~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Chapter XVI ~_**

 ** _~ Part III ~_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Cinder's Warehouse_

Jaune was sitting quietly; it was a quiet night and he didn't want to ruin it. On one of side of Cinder's halls there was a few windows, and on the other, a narrow passage leading into the escape hatches. The escape hatches were s a series of underground tunnels adjacent to each other, only separated by a small gap in-between the hatches below. They were connected to areas all-around Vale, making it an efficient form of travelling through the city.

Meanwhile, Roman was reading a book about war and peace, which surprised the man. Who knew Roman was an enthusiastic book reader? He didn't - and when he asked what had inspired him to read them, he just answered: "Books allow you to know more things than you can imagine - and the only thing that has given me more lessons is life." Unsurprisingly, it was answered with a frown, but you could tell that the man was invested in books.

No wonder Neo kept going in-and-out of the warehouse during the weekends; she must've bought (stole) the books for him. He found it ironic how even the most monstrous of people, even Cinder, had some sort of human aspect. Whether it was Cinder's desire for control and power, Roman's desire to be there for Neo and survive, for Neo to be there for Roman and live, or even his own desire of being powerful, they all had desires. He didn't know enough about Emerald and Mercury to know their desires.

Jaune chuckled, making Roman look up from his book with a cocked eyebrow, "What are you laughing about, now?" Roman looked at Jaune; putting a bookmark in the page that he was reading before closing it.

Jaune sighed. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Roman rolled his eyebrows. "Of course. I don't think I'd ever forget the one guy who wanted to fuck his own weapons-!"

Jaune palmed his face, making Roman laugh. "It's just a joke, calm down. You're acting like as if you have a sword up your ass!"

Meanwhile, Roman raised an eyebrow. "Well, unless you _do_ have a sword up your ass-!"

A moment later, Jaune put his head onto the table, and Roman wheezed. "Oh my _god._ I'll never let that one down, I swear it on my life." Roman chortled when Jaune flipped him off - and they were interrupted by Cinder opening the door.

Cinder frowned, staring at them, only to give a vicious smirk. "What are you two laughing about?"

Jaune looked at Roman, the latter shrugging in response. Jaune spoke, "Well, Roman apparently will never let the idea of having a sword up my ass down."

Roman stood with a fake gasp, "I didn't say that!" In the mask, Jaune was looking at Roman with a glare, and Roman smirked back. "I would _never_ accuse anyone of having a sword up their ass-!"

"Well," Jaune rebutted, "You literally asked me that on the SDC mission." Roman was exaggerating his curses, making Cinder raise an eyebrow. "Again, Cinder, I would never accuse anyone of having a sword up their ass. I never would!"

Jaune sighed, "I said that you asked, not accused." Roman stared at Jaune with a look of betrayal - and Neo was just trying not to laugh in the background. Roman smirked, "Well, I did ask as well, you know. And what did you say?" Roman beckoned him.

Jaune palmed his own mask, "I said that I thought weapons were art."

Cinder sighed. "Apparently, I'm surrounded by children." Everyone around Cinder, looked at her. She looked at them with a raised eyebrow, "What? It's true. You all _have_ some sort of childish attribute, and I've lost count of how many arguments you all have. From monologues," She stared at Roman and then to Emerald, "-to having your verbal spats with Mercury almost every day." Emerald looked away - and Mercury frowned.

Then, Cinder turned towards Jaune. "As for you," She frowned, "Come with me."

It was only a few minutes, but they were tense minutes. As Cinder and Jaune walked within the halls; Jaune couldn't help but slowly feel the acquainted combination of fear, distress, and panic. For a few moments, Cinder looked around, and upon noticing nobody, Cinder gazed into Jaune's mask.

Cinder looked at Jaune with a frown. "Listen to me, _Rat._ " Her tone made Jaune hold his breath - and he stood still. "I find you're a very... interesting addition to our team for a postman. I assumed you were a simple man, a simple mook, who would never be able to hold a candle to anything in life."

Jaune looked away from her, making Cinder snarl. " _Look_ at me! I will not have any more of this disobedience from you, is that clear?"

Jaune nodded.

Cinder spoke, "Despite your... disobedience, you're beginning to interest me. You turned from a postman to becoming one of Vale's most wanted criminals in only a few weeks, you pulled off robberies and _you_ survived Merlot's facility - and now you have the ability to go toe-to-toe with various students from Beacon in the matter of weeks! Nobody, not even Pyrrha Nikos, can improve that much in such a small time!"

"I'm sure there's a reason for that-!"

A moment later, Cinder slammed Jaune into a wall. "Tell me," She said acidly, "Why do you want to work with me?" One hand was doused in flames - and another was touching his shoulder, the metal on his suit was beginning to _melt._ On the inside, Jaune was panicking, and he couldn't stop noticing the stench of killing intent that lurked within the room.

Jaune breathed, "I want to make a change." Cinder's other hand began to burst into flames, melting the armour even more. "Not specific," She said softly, "Tell me."

Jaune looked at Cinder. "Why do _you_ want to make a change-?"

Cinder's hands burst into flames, and there was a look of sheer anger on her face. "Don't ask questions to your superiors. Tell me why you want to work with me. _Now._ "

Jaune spoke, "With the way it is, Remnant is hopeless. Do you see the White Fang and think they're ever going to make a permanent solution? No. Another version of the White Fang will replace them, and it will just stay the same. Do you see the huntsmen and think they'll actually sort out Remnant's problems? No. Ozpin and the other headmasters will just be their merry selves."

Jaune gazed at Cinder with a frown, "I want to be free. The two of us want change, Roman and Neo want to survive, and I don't know _why_ Mercury or Emerald follow you. But our goals, despite possible differences, align. We _both_ want Remnant to be sorted out, we _both_ want to be free and to have controls of our own lives. If you think I'm lying, what would I earn from that? Deception? You would never be tricked."

Cinder looked at him. "Is that all?"

Jaune looked at Cinder in the eyes, "There's no other solution, is there? Ozpin is too passive, the police are useless - and it's not like the White Fang are going to make Remnant any different." Cinder narrowed her eyes, "Would you go for another solution if it was better than mine?"

Jaune blinked, "That's not specific." He narrowed his eyes at the flames engulfing her hands, "But, if there was a better solution, I wouldn't be here."

A few moments later, Cinder's flames cancelled out, and her eyes narrowed. "Very well, if you _do_ want to change Remnant, I suppose we can have one more person on the winning side." Cinder gave a vicious smirk - and Jaune nodded. "However, if you're going to be apart of this, I suppose you're going to need some help, don't you?" Jaune sighed, and nodded.

Cinder raised an eyebrow, "No questions?" Jaune nodded. "Stop nodding, you're not an animal. Speak."

 _'Actually, we are animals. We're mammals, why can't you just study science instead of trying to give me third-degree burns? Wait, did I just think of a pun-'_

Jaune spoke, "I have no questions."

Cinder nodded, "Good." She stared at the black door ahead of them, "Now, follow me."

A few moments later, the door closed with a bang.

* * *

 ** _[QUEST COMPLETED: "Amidst The Fog"]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 20,000 EXP, increased closeness with Torchwick and the White Fang, you begin to earn more of Cinder Fall's interest, quest-line continues.]_**

 ** _[Failure/Refusal: Arrest, possible death, injury, etc.]_**

 ** _[LEVEL UP! LVL: 33 - 34]_**

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

* * *

 ** _Dandaman5:_** Will do - and I'm glad you enjoy the story that much.

 ** _UnderdaherSee:_** First off, thank you for the very in-depth review, I appreciate the time that you took to make it. Secondly, you can argue that he is getting worse (he's working with criminals and it's getting to him), it's good that he doesn't seem OP or like a Gary Sue. That part about Cinder making him seem like a hypocrite is a interesting point - and I can see where you got the idea.

 ** _Emberframe:_** Thank you for the compliments, I greatly appreciate them. We'll definitely have content worthy of the 'M' rating, it might be coming sooner than you think.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 34_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _MP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _SP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _EXP: 15,605/18,220_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 4/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 100/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 7/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 30 [35]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 30 [35]_**

 ** _Perception: 32 [34]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 ** _Stat Points: 8_**


	17. 17 - Dune With Illusions

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Ever on and on, I continue circling with nothing but my helplessness in a cycle of guilt -_**

 ** _'till slowly I forget and my heart starts vanishing and suddenly I see that I can't even stop myself -"_**

* * *

 _Dad was seated in the shade under the tree. It was the largest tree in our yard, and it was his favourite. Juniper was sitting next to him, curled up beside him and reading a book about a man with two souls. Jaune stood there, trying to shield bash with a rather surprising enthusiasm._

 _It was rather silly, but it was so simply enjoyable. Jaune loved challenges. And when Dad decided to raise pointers about his shield bashes, causing him to get better at it, it was like a great thrill to him. It was exhilarating, and enjoyable, and nice and he loved it._

 _He came to a stop and sat down, stumbling to the ground. Juniper chuckled and he stood up wobbly. A smirk widened on Jaune's face as he staggered into a chair right next to Dad and Juniper, who were watching him with proud smiles._

 _Juniper and Dad exchanged glances, before Juniper spoke up._

 _"Good job, kid..."_

 _"We're proud of you." Dad's voice intervened._

 _Jaune couldn't have felt any better._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 ** _A shame that the only son of the Arc Family became a mockery of Jaune Arc._**

 ** _Why did I ever leave them?_**

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

 _Arkos Beach_

 _'Seriously? The name of the beach is Arkos Beach? Someone's a shipper.'_

Jaune, the man in the black mask, was resting quietly; it wouldn't be long until Neo and Roman would be back. Chuckling, he stared at the soothing waves, the blue skies - and the refreshing sun that glistened in the distance. It was relaxing. It's been a long time since he actually had the chance to relax - and he didn't want anyone to interrupt his peace. He did earn that peace, after all.

He did deserve to rest on the shining sand; he more than deserved it.

A moment later, Jaune noticed a growing shadow that was lurking behind him, and he looked up. Not to his surprise, he was glancing at a grinning Neo who was cocking an eyebrow. Jaune sighed, "You got another batch of Neapolitan ice-cream, didn't you?" With a nod, Neo sat down with three spoons, handing a tub of vanilla ice-cream and a spoon to him. In the sudden silence, Jaune and Neo began to eat some of the ice-cream, slowly digging in the ice-cream with their small spoons. Meanwhile, Neo was grinning at him.

Jaune cocked an eyebrow, "Why are you grinning at me?" Neo shrugged; simply giving him a look that suggested she was trying not to laugh. Raising one of his palms to his face, he sighed. However, he noted that his face was colder than before, and it seemed to be rather murky. How surprising. And scattered across his hand were a series of chocolate chips; then, he was already trying not to sigh. His attempt to not sigh failed when Neo cackled, patting his back whilst giving him a small smirk. A second later, Neo was already wiping some of the ice-cream off, and eating it.

Jaune rolled his eyes, "Why are you such a tease?" Neo grinned; looking away to gaze at the silent skies.

Neo tapped one of Jaune's shoulders, making him turn towards her with a groan. "You're going to tease me again, aren't you?" Neo winked, making Jaune even more confused than before. Then, he noticed that Neo's scroll was in his hands, and there was a message on there.

 _"Maybe."_

Jaune frowned, "Well, that is helpful."

Neo tapped some of the keys on the scroll, before pushing the scroll back to Jaune's lap.

 _"I'm the tease? How many times have you made a comment over Roman's look of betrayal?"_

Jaune chuckled, "My actions were justified; he did accuse me of a few... things."

Neo grinned, _"You're embarrassed, aren't you?"_

Jaune looked away - and Neo was shoving his tub of ice-cream towards him, _"I'd eat that, if I were you. It's melting and your mask isn't hiding how red your face is."_

As Jaune was about to dig in, Neo tapped his shoulder. "What is it, Neo?"

Jaune blinked, making Neo grin. _"I wouldn't be embarrassed, Rat. Don't we all play with swords?"_

Looking at Neo, he blinked, before putting his face down on the sand. He grumbled, "Goddammit, Neo. Really?"

Neo's grin couldn't have been wider, _"Well, everyone plays with swords when they're face down-!"_

"Okay, Neo! I get it! I understand; we don't need to have a graphic description over fucking people!" Jaune sprung up, stopping Neo from finishing the sentence, watching as Neo guffawed at his reaction. She pointed at him, and her face was becoming red from laughter.

 _"Wait, you were lying the whole time! You DID fuck an actual, metal sword!"_

"What? Why would I fuck a sword-?" Neo's laughter became louder - and Jaune groaned. "Oh my god, Neo. You're even worse than Roman!"

Neo nudged Jaune with one of her elbows with a little grin, _"You're more fun to mock than Cinder, at least."_

Jaune cocked an eyebrow, "Cinder? Seriously? She'd burn you alive if you teased her."

Neo waved him off, _"Not when she doesn't catch you making jokes at her expense."_

A few moments later, Roman Torchwick was walking towards them with a grin and had a few glasses of wine in his hands. "Does anyone want any alcohol?" Neo grabbed one glass whilst Jaune grabbed another one, "Cheers, Roman." Neo gave Roman an appreciative nod, before giving the glass a little sip. On the other hand, Jaune was already downing the whole thing. Roman raised an eyebrow, "Are you alright? You're usually not... enthusiastic when it comes to drinking."

Jaune chuckled, "After the cluster-fuck that was the SDC mission, I think this one was necessary." Roman and Neo looked at each other, shrugging as they did so. Roman put the rest of the glasses on the ground, before take a few sips from a glass, himself. "So," He looked at Jaune and Neo with a smirk, "Who wants to steal some money from a bank? It'll be a little heist."

Amusingly, Neo put her hand up. Jaune paused, before sighing. "I may as well come," He shrugged, "This is wrong, but I don't want you two to be caught whilst drunk." Roman cocked an eyebrow, "Neo and I are known for holding our liquor - but as for you? We'll see." Jaune nodded, and the three of them stood up.

"We can just look at this as a field trip."

* * *

 ** _~ TFNF ~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~ TFNF ~_**

 ** _~ Part II ~_**

* * *

"Rat, you get in the front seat! Neo, you're in the back with me!"

As the sounds of sirens blasted all over Vale, Jaune was driving in the car, swerving through the streets. Carefully, Jaune rode through the passages and made sure that he didn't hit anyone; for, nobody deserved to die in that way. Slowly, the sounds of the sirens were being compounded by other sounds that were trying to overshadow them, and Jaune accelerated the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Roman was firing unstable flares from behind, watching as various cars were hit by the flares. Some vehicles were bursting in flames, other were charred black from the burns. Neo turned towards him in surprise, "It's fire dust! I just got a little inspiration from Cinder, that's all." Roman gave a little chuckle, watching as the flares exploded like fireworks bursting into flames.

Neo fired a few nails at some of the wheels, causing them to burst and for the cars to lose control. Some cars crashed - and others merely slowed down to a halt. Regardless, there were still a few other vehicles pressing towards them - and it wouldn't be long until hunters would chase them down. Regardless, Roman seemed to almost cackle at the _carnage_ that was happening. Neo, with a small smirk, was enthusiastically firing nails and it wasn't like Jaune was going to stop the car. Jaune was feeling adrenaline, an almost nostalgic callback to when Team JNPR fought on the tower in Emerald Forest.

Roman scowled, "We have a few hunters and huntresses on our tail!" He turned towards the driver's seat, shouting over to Jaune, "You know what to do, Rat!"

Jaune stamped his foot into the gas pedal, hearing the car screech against the rough road. His breathing was slowly becoming faster, but he ignored the adrenaline that built up in his chest, simply refusing to stop driving. Upon the sight of a child in the middle of the road; Jaune spun the wheel so hard that it almost broke, choosing to drive into one of the bridges. Noticing the bridge begin to rise, Jaune slammed the gas pedal again, watching as the car went so fast that the air was blowing against his face.

In those few seconds, Jaune felt dread. Gazing down at the ocean that could engulf them, Jaune looked back at Roman and Neo. The two of them were grabbing the sides of the van, looking at him with a nod. Jaune nodded back - but the van slammed against the hard concrete. Then, sparks screamed as the metal grated against the hard floor, before stopping to a halt. A few moments later, the trio got out of the vehicle, grabbing the suitcase of money as they did so. With a burst of speed, the three climbed up separate rooftops, and they were running across them.

Jaune could hear rapid footsteps behind him - and he didn't have enough time to look behind him. Ignoring the screaming pain in his arms, he ran across the rooftops at the sound of a bang. Still, he felt the excitement that was in his chest from before, and it wouldn't change any soon. Jaune jumped off a rooftop, sliding down the walls with daggers impaled through hard bricks. Hearing the rough whine of his daggers, Jaune pulled them out and leaped off the walls. With rushed breathes, he descended down a ladder and ran on the soft pavement.

Noticing Neo and Roman, he decided to scale up the walls and run towards their location. Joining them by the nearest rooftops, they looked down at the belly of the tumultuous ocean and Roman grabbed onto the two of them. "Are we ready to get out of here?" The two of them nodded, and Jaune shut his eyes. "On the count of three. One, two, three! Jump!"

Together, the three jumped - and the grappling hook of Melodic Cudgel was carrying them through the air. He noticed that the hook was attached to another bridge, barely suppressing his gasp of surprise as they were swinging through the air. Jaune felt harsh winds retaliate against his mask, feeling his body get blown against the howling winds. Tightly, they all gripped each other, hurtling through the skies as they noticed a boat beneath them. Roman's hook let go of the bridge, causing them to descend downwards. Roman's grappling hook reached the top of the building; causing them to swing sideways by the building.

With a smirk, Roman hurtled his arm forwards, "Follow me!" As soon as he said that, Roman ran ahead, forcing Neo and Jaune to follow them. As they ran through falling platforms, traps, and bricks, Neo gave a grin of excitement. It seemed that it wasn't only Jaune who enjoyed the rush of danger - and he wasn't surprised. Neo looked at Jaune with a quick nod, and together, they ran with grins on their faces.

Roman jumped down a rooftop, using flares to keep himself above the ground. Neo grabbed Jaune and they both leaped off the rooftops, watching the parasol float through the skies and, with a little chuckle, Neo looked ahead. Upon landing, however, they seemed to have noticed something odd. There were slums everywhere - and there were the poor. Faunus and humans, doing their own things, and Jaune paused. Neo tapped Jaune's shoulder with a concerned look.

Jaune sighed, "Don't worry about it." He shook his head - and the two were following Roman's trail.

However, Roman was running into a bookshop.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part III ~_**

* * *

"Hello, this is Vale News! Our entire police force are currently chasing down three criminals: the Rat, Roman Torchwick, and an unidentified member! They're fleeing because of a bank robbery-!"

Weiss turned off the TV - and looked at them, "Those people are the three that you want to take on? Can't you see that this is madness? How are we going to take them on when the entire police force can't?" Weiss exclaimed, looking at the rest of her team with exasperation.

Yang spoke, "Well, we do have a plan. Which, well," She looked away, "-is progress."

Ruby flipped down onto the ground with a small grin, "Well, this is the part where our investigation begins, Weiss!"

Weiss groaned, "Right, and you're taking this seriously..."

Yang sighed, "Well, I guess we are taking this moderately seriously, Weiss."

Ruby spoke, "Anyways, do we have a plan for next week?"

Meanwhile, Blake spoke. "We need to chase them down - and find out why they're doing this. Rat and Torchwick have links to the White Fang. The White Fang have faction meetings to recruit people - which is where I'll need to go."

Yang grinned, "Well, I'll just head to the shadier side of town to meet an old _friend_ of mine. Wait a moment," She paused - making everyone else look at her, "That's pretty strange..."

Blake looked at her, "What is it?"

Yang sighed, "Do you remember the incident in Junior's bar?" Ruby nodded, "Yeah, that's where we met..." She became quiet, "Oh. Jaune."

It became quiet - and Yang's voice permeated the room. "Think about it, Jaune was at Junior's bar for a reason. We don't know why," She paused, "I think I know why. Apparently, Jaune was almost killed by Torchwick," The rest of Team RWBY looked at her in shock - and Ruby gripped her fist tightly. "-And this Rat guy comes out of nowhere when Torchwick's around."

Quietly, Ruby's voice was heard. "Well, I do remember Pyrrha telling me about how Jaune used to just go in Vale at random times." Blake raised an eyebrow, whilst Weiss and Yang's expressions turned into frowns.

Yang sighed, "What if Rat and Jaune are connected? What if they know each other? Rat works for the same guy who almost killed Jaune - and Jaune just went missing. Just like that, he just went missing after the incident with Cardin."

Blake looked at Yang, "I think that Jaune was there to find out information about Torchwick - and he must've gone out to figure out Torchwick's activities in the night. As for why he's gone though," She looked away, "-it could be for a variety of reasons."

Weiss spoke, "Well, it could be a start for where that idiot-" Ruby glared at her, making Weiss sigh. "-Jaune is. Sorry, Ruby." Ruby looked away, patting her scythe as she stared down at the floor.

Yang put a hand on Ruby's shoulder, "We'll get to the bottom of this, Rubes."

"I know we will."

Then, the four of them turned to the window, noticing Sun.

"So, are we getting back at that Rat guy? Oh, and are we going to take down that Torchwick guy too?"

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part IV ~_**

* * *

 _Vale_

"So, are you going to fight back-?"

Emerald, Mercury, and Tukson were interrupted by the sound of a door closing, followed by three people walking in. Roman cocked an eyebrow - and whistled. "Wow, you two had the balls to take this into your own hands? I'd say that's impressive for two people who seem to be... kissing Cinder's ass." Roman aimed Melodic Cudgel at Tukson and fired, watching as a cabinet of books dropped down onto him.

Emerald crossed her arms, "Aren't you a bit of a hypocrite?" Roman scoffed - and Mercury was giving a smirk towards Tukson. Meanwhile, Neo and Jaune looked at each other, and they both knew why Emerald and Mercury were there. Everyone brandished their weapons as Tukson's claws appeared out of his fingertips, and Jaune slammed Tukson down on the floor when he tried to slash him.

Roman gave a sarcastic whistle, "Well done, Rat. You beat an animal, congratulations! Now, kill him." Jaune paused - and he looked back at Roman. Everything seemed to slow down to a halt; like as if someone just froze time. Did Roman just tell him to kill someone? His hands shook from the feeling of horror - and only his mask hid his look of devastation. He didn't know what to do; he couldn't let him go because Cinder would find out. She'd find out that he had set him free - and would kill him. On the other hand, killing an innocent was something that Jaune didn't want to do, and never would want to do.

He wasn't a monster.

But, this man was apart of the White Fang. This man was apart of the same organisation that'd defy their freedom, his freedom. Then, why did he feel some sort of conflict in his chest? But, as he gazed into Tukson's eyes of fear and terror, he realised something: that he no longer had the free, exploring mind of the individual scientist. This was what he was fighting for: the freedom to take any direction he wished, without any other directors. In doing so, he realised something significant, more significant than any game.

Tukson wasn't a monster.

They were the monsters.

 _'No,'_ He looked at poor Tukson, shaking in his clothes, his eyes begging for help, _'I'm a criminal, a villain, and I'll never be a hero after this.'_

He had to do this.

Jaune looked back at Roman, "Can I kill him in the back of the room?" Roman paused, for a few seconds, before slowly nodding. A second later, Jaune grabbed Tukson's body, trying to ignore the sounds of terror behind him - but he couldn't keep his mind from going back to those noises. Over and over, they'd play over like a video in his head, and he was desperately trying to hang on to his emotions. He was screaming at himself to stop; for, this wasn't who he was.

But, he lost his identity long ago, and he was just Jaune Arc.

 _'I'm not Jaune Arc, but I'm not who I was. I'm someone else.'_

When the door closed, a tired Tukson fell down onto the ground, his back pressed against the unforgiving brick wall. His eyes were filled with unforgettable fear; and, he couldn't stop shaking to the frigid cold. Jaune shook his head, before binding his arms and legs together with ropes. Tukson looked at him, and Jaune was begging for him to _stop_ looking at him in that way.

"I don't want to do this," Jaune said - and Tukson's eyes widened. His voice was reduced to hollow whispers; emotionless, like as if Jaune had given up. "You're apart of the White Fang, sure, but I know you're not one of the horrible ones." Tukson looked away, before sighing. "All I wanted was to just go back to Vacuo - and I'm getting killed for wanting to leave a _terrorist organisation_ ," Tukson spat, "I just want to go back to my family in Vacuo; and they kill me for it." Jaune looked away.

"I want to tell you that it won't hurt; but I know it will," He admitted, watching as Tukson looked at him, "I'm not even in my twenties and I'm killing an innocent-!"

"You don't have to do this; I know you don't want to," Tukson's voice wavered, "Please! I'll do anything, just let me go-!" Jaune covered Tukson's mouth, gazing at the tears rolling down his cheeks, stopping himself from letting his own voice waver, too. And what could he do? He was trapped; and, he couldn't do anything about it.

"You know that I have to do this," Jaune amended, "You're a man with a family - but one life is less important than the whole of Vale. You _know_ that."

Tukson looked away, "Of course that's true," He admitted, "But what would you do if you were the one who was about to get shot? To be killed?"

Jaune sighed, "I would've tried to fake my death; but it wouldn't have worked," Jaune shrugged, "I would've been shot. Anyways, do you have any last words?" He looked at his silver revolver, soon to be painted red.

The man glanced in his direction, eyeing the mini-holes in Jaune's mask. "Can you show me who you are? At least," He paused, before his voice began to waver again, "-At least, I'd know who killed me." Soon, Jaune deliberated it, before nodding.

He'd been dead once - and he'd never disrespect a dying man.

After a few latches were loosened, his mask dropped to the ground with a clang. Tukson looked at him in sadness, "I can't believe it. You're the last person I had expected - and you don't even want to do this." Jaune refused to look at Tukson's face - and he was just silent. Tukson's expression had the look of horror, not terror, but horror at how horrible it was. "Look at me. Please," Jaune, slowly, looked at Tukson.

Tukson spoke, "I want you to do something for me." Jaune paused, before his voice became a whisper. "What is it?"

Tukson, after a sigh, spoke. "Stop them. Stop their plans - and save everyone. Stop Adam Taurus, these people, and whoever is leading them." Jaune looked away, before hearing the begging tone that Tukson's voice held. _"Please."_

Jaune looked back at him, before nodding. "I'm sorry."

After a few moments, Tukson gave a sad smile. "Me too. Kid, me too."

Then, the Faunus closed his eyes, almost as if he was just going to sleep.

Jaune raised the gun to point it towards Tukson's head.

Tukson's voice permeated the room. "Oh, and kid?" He turned towards him, "Never forget who you are, and live the life you want to live."

Jaune was about to put the mask back on - but he shook his head. And it was almost as if it was an acknowledge; for, he knew that he wasn't going to lie to himself anymore. There wasn't any excuse to do so; no excuse at all. Tukson was right; it was best if he lived the life he wanted to live. Lying to himself over who he was, as a person, wasn't what he wanted to live with.

Jaune Arc and the Rat were the same - and the only difference was a black mask.

"I'll try."

With tears down his face, bloodshot eyes, and shaking hands, he cocked his revolver.

Then, there was a silent bang, and a thud.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

 ** _TheSetupMage:_** He probably would've become OP, got a harem, and automatically saved everyone's lives like as if it was a wish-fulfilling fanfic.

 ** _youbrilliantfuck:_** Fair points on the prose and the angst aspects. I suppose that I do need to improve on my variation - and more on the way I handle the emotions of the characters in my fanfics. Really, though, I do appreciate the fact that so many of you (somehow) enjoy reading this.

 ** _Dead Randy walking:_** I think that scene was my favourite scene in the chapter. I loved how angry, distrusting, and bitter Cinder was - and I couldn't help but notice how Jaune seemed to be braver (even interrupted her and asked her questions despite almost getting melted).

 ** _Guest:_** Thanks for reading the entire fanfic to this point (71k words, 71k words!) I appreciate this tons; I mean, seriously, 71k words and you like it that much?

 ** _Morrosa:_** One of the best stories you've read in weeks? To be frank, that is quite the compliment. Like, wow. Just wow. Thank you so much for that.

 ** _Dandaman5:_** This is a question that can be spoilery, so I'll try to answer it. Well, Jaune does want to go back to Beacon, but he has pretty much no chance of going back at this time. He might be able to get back - but we'll see.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 34_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _MP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _SP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _EXP: 15,605/18,220_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 24/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 65/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 18/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 33 [38]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 33 [38]_**

 ** _Perception: 34 [36]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	18. 18 - Actions & Reactions

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"The cycle runs, it moves, and I keep moving forward and back -_**

 ** _'till I stop running and look at what I've done -_**

 ** _and then I snap."_**

* * *

 _Jaune watched Tukson bleed, watched him slowly fall to the bloody floor._

 _Tukson was too bloody. Too fragile._

 _Tukson smiled._

 _Jaune was too bloody, now. Too fragile._

 _He cried, and Tukson stopped breathing._

 _In those few moments, a snarl threatened to rip out of his throat._

 _But, he couldn't stop crying. He couldn't stop feeling morose, infuriated, used, so... useless._

 _Hands turned into tight fists, fists that had drops of Tukson's blood on them._

 ** _There will be hell to pay._**

 ** _He'd make sure of it._**

. . .

. .

.

 _Vale_

Jaune Arc stood by the rails. With a glance, his face was arched towards the streets of Vale and he was simply enjoying a fine cigar. Smoke blew past his face - but it paid him no heed; why would it annoy him? It was something that helped him calm down; and, it helped him get through his day. His eyes darted to Tukson's bookshop and it still showed police officers guarding the patrol-zones of Vale. Jaune dropped the cigar to the floor and crushed it with the back of his shoe - and the shake of his own head.

"Hey." Quickly, Jaune turned. His eyes narrowed when he met Roman's eyes. "I figured you'd up here; you sure do like this spot. You said you wanted to talk?" He questioned. Roman put his hands in his pockets after taking a cigar, pulling it from his mouth to pull the smoke out.

Jaune sighed. "Did you have to force my hand?" He finished; making Roman raise an eyebrow.

Roman nodded. "I did."

"Why did you do it? Neo could've-"

"-Done what? Torture Tukson to death?" Roman asked. "You're a criminal; are you soft-hearted or something? Every person who is in this building has killed someone; a few of us have even killed a lot more. If anything, I was doing both you and Tukson a favour by making you take him out of his misery." Roman lit up his cigar again. "Besides-" He muttered. "-Cinder ordered me to make you do it."

"For the sake of not being a liability?" Jaune questioned with a frown.

"For the sake of not being a liability." Roman nodded. "Kid, one day, you'll be able to make your own decisions in situations like these but this is not that day." Then, Roman's scroll rang, interrupting the two of them. "Anyhow, I gotta go. See you."

Then, a few moments later, Cinder walked towards him.

"-Judging by the event, you seem to have changed for the better." Cinder interrupted, watching the two turn towards her. "You may be the _weakest_ person-" She looked at Roman when Jaune paused. "-But you're a lot more than you seem to be." Those words made Jaune sigh.

 _'This is going to be a difficult conversation.'_

"Aren't we all? Somebody has something about them that makes them more than what they seem, it's a natural thing." He waved dismissively, but Cinder raised an eyebrow.

A brief pause made the whole world silent; but Cinder wanted to speak. "Do you have anything on Team RWBY?"

Jaune nodded. "Team RWBY are planning to interrupt Roman's recruiting party and one of them is going to Junior's bar." He finished.

Cinder rolled her eyes. "Of course, that team always likes to be heroes." She said disdainfully - and Jaune swore Cinder was somewhat bitter about it. "Do you know what to do?"

 _'I believe so.'_

"I do." He nodded. "Team RWBY will be dealt with." Cinder gave him a _look_ after he finished.

Then, Jaune heard another set of steps - and Cinder spoke. "I believe you need a partner."

Jaune raised an eyebrow, 'This _is interesting.'_ He thought, and individual was masked just like he was. A person with an agenda?

Cinder looked at the other masked person. "This," She gave Rat a look, "-is your partner. Together, the two of you will work towards any goals I instruct you to complete. Is that clear?" The two of them nodded - and Cinder smirked. "Take five minutes to talk; we're heading out tonight."

Just as she was about to leave, Cinder spoke. "One more thing," She smirked at the two of them. "-We're moving to phase two."

After the sound of clicking heels faded, the two of them were stuck in an awkward silence.

"So," He spoke. "Nice weather, huh?"

The other person seemed to roll their eyes. "Really, kiddo?" Jaune froze. "The first thing you talk about to your new partner and it's about the weather-?"

"Juniper?" He was speaking in his normal voice.

Juniper froze. "Jaune?" He nodded for confirmation - and Juniper ran up to him with a massive hug. "Holy _shit._ Where the fuck have you been?" She asked with a steely voice, "It's been weeks since you went missing - and everyone's worried sick! Why the fuck did you just go off like that-?"

"-I didn't have a choice," He spoke. "Torchwick forced me into this as a 'favour' and it just spiralled from there." He finished.

Juniper sighed. "Are you fucking serious? You're involved with the SDC Factory incident _and_ the Bank robbery?" Jaune sighed; looking away.

Juniper seemed to slump and palm her mask. "Goddammit, Jaune. Why is it you who has to deal with the troubling shit?" She asked, gripping the rails tightly.

Jaune shook his head. "Either way, it doesn't matter. We have to deal with this-?"

She shook her head. "No," She amended, "-We don't have to. We can just go." Juniper finished, darting her eyes to look at Jaune.

"I think _she_ knows who we are, Juniper." He said quietly, "What are the odds of having two people in the same family meet in these circumstances? It's too unsubtle; too suspicious." Juniper palmed her mask; pausing to think.

"Well, what can we do?"

Jaune put on a thoughtful look. "I think we can sort something out by the end of the year, no question. Isn't that when the Vytal Festival starts?" She nodded. "We can get out of this situation by using the Vytal Festival as a distraction; problem solved."

"-But, of course, we can't do that. Can we?"

Jaune stood silently, before speaking. "No," He said honestly. "These people are professionals at what they do; more than professionals, and it's not like-!"

 ** _[QUEST: "To Become Strong"]_**

 ** _[Reach LVL 50/60 before the Vytal Festival ends, complete the questline, and deal with Team RWBY.]_**

 ** _[Rewards(S): 250,000 EXP, "Rat Aegis" title unlocked, closeness to Cinder Fall/Juniper Arc/Roman Torchwick and Neopolitan increased. Closeness may increase with other people, but this depends on your actions.]_**

"Jaune? Are you okay?"

"No; I'm going downstairs."

* * *

 ** _~ Part II ~_**

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Warehouse_

Jaune heard the distinct humming of machinery in the distance - and he wasn't surprised when it turned out to be Bullheads. As Jaune descended from the elevator, he looked at Roman having a conversation with Mercury, Emerald, and Cinder.

"Did I not specifically instruct you to keep everyone's hands clean in Vale?" Cinder's voice was heard near a metallic board with the map of Vale on it.

"I just thought-!" Emerald began to speak whilst Roman chuckled, only to be interrupted.

"Well, I didn't _have_ a choice. Torchwick decided to put Tukson's life in my hands - and I did my job. Honestly, Cinder? We all had one fuck up - and the police still don't know who we are." Jaune answered, watching the aforementioned give him a few glances.

Cinder frowned and turned to Roman. "You were instructed to kill Tukson yourself, not use one of your henchmen to do it." Rat cocked an eyebrow - Roman lied? He supposed that there wasn't that much of a surprise to it; Roman was a bit of a back-stabber, to be fair. Even he, despite everything, knew what Roman was like.

Jaune chuckled. "That's not what he told me." Cinder raised an eyebrow at Jaune's finishing statement.

"Oh? And what did he say?" Roman was beginning to frown at this point - whilst Neo was looking with a questioning glance. Meanwhile, Juniper was watching the conversation occur.

Jaune spoke. "Well, he wanted to do a bank robbery and have the entire police force chase us down. I'd almost say it was coincidental that we landed right at Tukson's shop of all things just _as_ Emerald and Mercury were going to kill Tukson. It was just bad luck."

Cinder walked towards Jaune. "Perhaps," She spoke softly, "I'll forget this ever-happened. Just this once." She stared at Roman who gave an awkward chuckle - turning back to look at Emerald and Mercury. "I'll let go of this one mistake; but, if you make _one_ more mistake..." Cinder looked at them all - and we all stood there in thought.

"Anyways," She gave a small smirk. "We're done with dust; we're moving out of this warehouse. Roman, clear out the area. I'll send out the coordinates and details." Roman raised an eyebrow. "Coordinates?"

Cinder walked towards the exit. "We're moving to phase two."

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Junior's Club_

 _Tap._

 _Tap._

 _Tap!_

Jaune's feet tapped underneath a chair, and he listened to the loud taps that seemed to broadcast their sounds to the entire room. The room, once filled-to-the-brim with people, now an area only filled by silence. Meanwhile, Hei "Junior" Xiong stood with a frown, acting like someone was going to show up soon. A few moments after the silence began, Junior turned towards Jaune.

"So..." Jaune turned to Junior. "I'm fine; thanks for asking." Jaune finished for Junior, the former watching the latter roll his eyes.

Jaune spoke. "I suggest you leave; _she_ is going to turn up soon." Jaune paused, "I'll be fine; I definitely will deal with _her_."

"You never know with her," Junior responded. "Blondie is a surprising girl; but, if you think you can take her on? You're free to try." He sighed. "The sisters and I weren't enough for blondie and the other girl, anyways." He glanced at the rear exit of the room; turning to walk towards it.

There were only soft steps, but to Jaune, they sounded loud and clear. Distinct. "Junior," He watched Junior turn to look at him. "For what it's worth, I'm sorry for raising such a fuss about fighting _her_." Junior sighed - and shook his head. "Don't worry about it; we replaced this spot with another club, anyways."

There were only a series of steps - but Jaune knew it wouldn't be long until Yang showed up. The revolver that rested in his pockets drew his gaze and, to his disgust, he still noticed the drying blood on it. He never could've washed it off; and, he couldn't help but find it fitting. "Sorry, Tukson."

Distinct steps interrupted him; Neptune seemed to start speaking.

"Who are you apologising to-?" In an instant, Jaune jumped back and shot at a smoke bomb in the back, watching the world detonate with smoke. A few moments later, smoke alarms screeched across the club and water drizzled down to the platforms. Yang was covering her face and nose, trying to stop herself from breathing in the smoke, as was Neptune. It didn't matter. The stench of smoke was moving around the room; and, it wouldn't be long until Jaune began to not hold back. Aiming his revolver upwards, he fired various bullets into the lights, watching them shut off.

Only darkness remained.

 _'Thank god for night-vision goggles,'_ He thought as he grit his teeth at the over-looming darkness. He _still_ felt the distinct panic in his chest building up, but he still brandished his daggers. The feelings of guilt didn't matter: not when he was brandishing his daggers; not when he was walking towards her and certainly not now. With a sudden lurch, Jaune's eyes widened at the sharp screams of metal scraping against each other. Yang's eyes were _red_ \- and her hair lit the whole room like a torch.

Meanwhile, he watched Juniper run towards Neptune, and brandish black blades.

Next, Yang drew his gaze.

The most prominent features were her malevolent grin - and the anger hiding behind it.

"I don't know your connection to Jaune; but, that's the _last_ time you ever try to kill me-!" She was interrupted by powerful punches that were responded with blocks, bullets banged against the walls like a hailstorm throwing everything it had. Jaune avoided various punches from Yang and his daggers screamed across Ember Celica like a wraith.

A malevolent dance began anew.

Ember Celica pounded against his fists. "Do you know where Jaune Arc is?"

"Maybe," One dagger slammed against Yang's gauntlets, with a vertical slide and a metallic whine.

"-Maybe not. It's not like Jaune Arc matters to anyone, right?" Jaune ducked underneath a swinging leg but a fist was planted into his stomach, and Yang slammed him against the bar. "Do you know anything about Jaune Arc?"

"Jaune Arc?" He raised an eyebrow in his mask, "Oh!" His voice grated at Ember Celica pounding against him. "-You mean that guy who tried to fight me? And lost?" He chuckled. "He's been missing for weeks, since." Yang's purple eyes saw nothing but a vile red.

"Anyways," Jaune aimed his revolver at Yang with a nostalgic smirk. "Isn't it past your bedtime?" Yang dodged various bullets as she fired shotgun shell after shotgun shell at Jaune, whose fake smirk turned into a blank stare.

The bar was very close behind him now.

Jaune continued to retreat; the woman in yellow continued advancing.

Then Jaune countered with the revolver in his hand.

And the woman in yellow swerved with a punch aimed at the man.

Instead of looking for anything else, Jaune continued the dance. But the edge of the bar was pressing against his back.

She was pushing him again.

He swung to the right, into the woman's face.

Only to receive Yang's terrifying gaze.

Jaune tutted. " _This_ is Ruby's older sister? Are you really this weak-?!"

"-At least I have a family, people to protect-!" Yang interrupted.

"-FUCK YOU!" He _snarled._

Jaune swung as hard as he could but she darted aside, coming back with a knee to the chin that had him staggering back before he knew what was happening. He spat blood and his body tried to rest, but he refused to stop _fighting._

Yang's haired glowed like a phoenix; the flames crackled with a harsh howl. Two sets of fists grappled each other; but, the world around them couldn't handle their strength. A dance floor was tattered, the windows were shattered, and nobody cared.

Jaune's fists lurched as soon as Yang's hair _hissed,_ swinging back and around. One of his legs kicked at her and she was hurtling forward, grabbing his leg and pulling it aside to try and regain some control. She held the tempo for perhaps a moment until, suddenly, he descended forward, bowing low, and she was sent back free, flipping back and landing with a glare.

Silence reigned in the hall as if it was daring them to break the peace - but neither of them cared.

They wanted to _break_ their opponent.

Just like that, the two danced amongst the floor and refused to halt, pressing against each other with glares. Glares, stares, hairs raised as well as the stakes. One mistake - and one person could lose the fight, perhaps, even their own life.

"Listen," Jaune hissed. "I _will_ win. I will kick your ass, I'll get what I need. Even at your expense; well, if you don't give up." Slowly, his voice became rough and Yang couldn't stop herself from gritting her own teeth. Daggers and gauntlets were battering against each other, and for every word Jaune spoke, his strikes became more _ferocious._

"Even at my own expense? Do you think you're doing your family proud by wanting to harm innocents?" Yang asked, making Jaune grit his teeth.

"I'm doing this because it's the only option! You don't even understand why I need to-!"

"-You're just making excuses!"

Without hesitance, bullets blasted past Yang's face as she swerved around Jaune. One bullet grazed her face, forcing her to bite her lips. Bangs and clangs rang on the dance floor; for, neither wanted to drop their weapons. Yang gave a flurry of kicks, Jaune jumped behind the bar and watched as it split into halves. Yang spun around with a roundhouse kick - only for Jaune to slam a dagger against her heel.

He dodged the gunshot fired from the bottom of her heel - and the bullet scraped across his mask.

Before then, Yang and Jaune were already in the fray of Neptune and Juniper, striking each other within the middle of their clash. Jaune jumped over Juniper and his daggers found home on Neptune's Guandao, dropping to the ground that was underneath the Guandao's range. A trident was thrown at his chest - rolling to his left had saved him from impalement.

Twangs vibrated across their weapons, intensifying as the two pushed against each other. Scowling, Neptune swung his trident, and Jaune kicked at the base to push him back. A slight push was achieved; but, it wasn't enough. Neptune was still pushing against him with all-his-might, and Jaune's eyes screamed at the electricity shining in his eyes. Jaune kicked upwards, forcing the trident out of Neptune's hands, watching it clack to the ground.

He didn't register the lack of weight in his hands, until he looked downwards.

The two rushed at each other. Neptune blocked a few hits and a few turns were executed to avoid brutal punches.

Neptune grabbed a cup and threw it at Jaune's face.

Shards ripped into the mask, cutting the top and the helmet into pieces.

Two blue eyes and yellow hair were revealed.

Instead of noticing the lack of cover for the top of his mask, Jaune tried to stop Neptune from advancing. The bottom of the dance floor underneath him lit up with electricity.

Someone was stopping him again.

He fell right, into the dance floor.

A foot came up from the floor and kicked him in the face.

Jaune was sent tumbling - and Neptune's face was filled with shock. "Jaune Arc-?"

Neptune was knocked out by a foot sent from the floor. Jaune didn't even hear what he'd said.

Jaune panted; gripping the ruined bar tightly. He did it. He fought a student from one of the academies, and _won._ He was brushing across the top of his mask, but he was feeling rough skin, not the frigid sensation he was used to. _'That means they're going to know who I am.'_

He raised his face; noticing that there was something out of place. Where were the noises? Why was it so quiet?

He received his answer soon enough.

Yang was unconscious.

"Wow," He looked at Juniper. "Fucking hell, you hit hard." Pointing at the downed Neptune and then the unconscious Yang.

She chuckled. "Aren't they hunters-in-training? I heard that you even fought the blonde at one point," Jaune frowned as Juniper finished speaking.

Then, he shrugged. "It took me way more hits - and even then, she wasn't even close to being knocked out. What should we do with them, then?"

Juniper shrugged. "I don't know; leave them here? Or at Beacon?" They were interrupted by Neptune's groans - and Jaune gave a nod to Juniper. After a few moments, Yang's phone began to ring.

 _"Everyone! If you can hear me, we need backup-!"_

 _"-Bigger robot! Very big! It's been mounted by Torchwick-!"_

 _"I'm not missing this!"_

"Well, that sounds interesting." Jaune spoke.

Ruby spoke. _"Who is this? Why do you have my sister's phone?"_

"Oh come on, Rubes, don't you remember me?"

 _"Jaune?"_

"No; I dealt with him." He chuckled. "-And your friends over here might have the same deal; you know, and I would feel guilty if I lost some of my friends over a reckless plan..."

Blake's voice was heard. _"How do you know about our plans?! There's no way you could've known-!"_

"Well, Blake!" His voice raised with amusement, "I have the attribute that is known to the world as competency; something you all don't seem to have. I mean, you could go on the dark side and-!" He rolled his eyes. "Oh, fuck it. You won't understand the reference." He fired two shots at a wall and ended the call.

Juniper shook her head. "Did you really have to taunt them like that?" She asked, watching Jaune shrug.

"Trust me; their team let their emotions get to them. Watch them go nuts and run over here in a few minutes." She palmed her face.

"Torchwick is still following them."

"I said a few minutes. We can use Bumblebee and get out of here; let me just write a letter though. Got a pen?" She downed a glass from the bar and threw a pen over to him. "Cheers," After that, he was already writing an apology for... borrowing Yang's bike.

"How do you know the name of the bike?"

"I used to go to Beacon - her sister talked a lot about applying weapons to Yang's bike, well, she did a few times when I was there." He admitted, watching Juniper place Yang and Neptune right next to each other on a few seats, lying them against the bar to make sure they didn't fall off. "Done?" She nodded.

"Let's get out of here." She turned around to walk outside - before stopping. "What's wrong?" Jaune gave a glance at Yang and Neptune.

With a sigh, Juniper draped her arms over Neptune and Yang, dragging them across the floor to the bike itself; and, heard the sounds of running machinery behind them. A few moments later, the roar of an engine was heard through the streets, and Juniper turned towards Jaune.

"What the hell are you doing?" She hissed, only for her voice to go soft. "They'll be fine, okay? I'm sure they know what they're doing," She finished - and Jaune gave a slow nod in response. "How the hell are we going to deal with these two, though? We can't get them back to Beacon; we're technically criminals-!"

"Can't we just sneak into Beacon?" Jaune interrupted, and Juniper gave the greatest _blank_ stare known to man.

She cleared her throat before saying, "Are you fucking serious?" Her eyebrows must've cocked above her mask; because, it was a horrible idea.

Jaune chuckled. "No, but I'm thinking of what might happen." Do people really think he was _that_ dumb? He was just upset, tired, exhausted.

Juniper sighed. "You're insufferable at times, Jaune."

"You're vulgar at times, Juniper." Jaune responded with a small grin, only to blink. "Oh! I just forgot." Jaune clicked his fingers. "Head to my warehouse that's near the ports; it's the one filled with prototypes and blueprints. Blue door, has a shield emblem on the top. Knock the door three times and then tap the door."

"Hypocrite. Be careful, Jaune." She rolled her eyes and chuckled; watching as Jaune's grin widened. They were interrupted by the sounds of machinery - and Juniper drifted the motorbike around to face the opposite direction. There, Juniper drove with a frowning Jaune, who was noticing the resting duo. Before he could figure things out; sadly, something interrupted his thoughts. There were sounds of people running behind him; desperate taps that went side-to-side in the moonlight, but Bumblebee accelerated without any reluctance. As wheels grated against the road, Jaune looked back to aim with his revolver.

 _'A shame I couldn't spend anymore time with her - Bumblebee isn't suited for four people.'_ He thought - and watched the remainders of RWBY run down the street with a gargantuan war-machine behind them. Quickly, he hid himself within the damp dark corner, gripping the side of a long pipe and slowly scaling it. After what must've been a minute of climbing; he stopped, and watched the fireworks underneath the roof. Rockets were being cut into explosive pieces by Blake, who was glowing a fierce yellow. It couldn't have been more ironic.

Jaune cocked the revolver, checking the barrel and the trigger. After hearing a click, he paused his thoughts made him pause. _'Why should I bother? The man has it under control - and Neo's a back-up in case he loses. RWBY can't win; they think that I just killed Yang and Neptune with no problems. If anything, Ruby's freaking the fuck out, completely ruining morale and any organisation.'_

He _swore_ that Ruby's silver eyes were glowing, lost in within a sea of stress and what seemed to be... guilt? Why would she feel guilty over this? The rest of her team decided to go with her; and, it wasn't like Sun wanted to give up on their issue with Torchwick, either.

Sometimes, he didn't _understand_ this strange girl.

Jaune shook his head. _'She doesn't matter, not for now anyways.'_ He sighed; gazing at the skies above him - the cracked moon was covered by wispy clouds. Jaune frowned; it's been such a short time since he came here but it felt longer than that. Impossibly long; and, it just felt like he wasn't a _real_ person anymore.

Does anything matter anymore? Why would he care if Ruby lost an eye, or if Yang died? They weren't real - but he was.

Was he?

He sighed. _'Besides, if I go down there, Torchwick will know who I am.'_

After turning around, the only source of noise were soft steps.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

 ** _Guest:_** Thanks!

 ** _baneofpeinpong:_** Of course, I still need to improve. I mean, I don't really think I'll ever stop improving, well, until there are no improvements needed. Anyways, thanks for the review, I'm glad you're enjoying this fanfic so much and I appreciate your comment. Thank you!

 ** _Itskisam:_** Chapters 1-7 are being rewritten; it's taking a bit of time to do it.

 ** _TheSetupMage:_** RWBY does work better when every combatant isn't OP (like Ozpin, Cinder, Salem, etc), and I've noticed how characters who aren't OP seem more human than those who are OP (Emerald is a vulnerable teenager who's trapped, whilst Salem is just "i'll kill everyone because why not lol.") I mean, unless there is a significant backstory behind Salem and how she became such a twisted character, she'll end up seemingly one-dimensional 24/7.

 ** _The Critic:_** Honestly, I can't blame you when it comes to the earlier chapters. The early versions for these chapters are shit; they had numerous plot-holes and Jaune was somehow being so stupid and ignorant that it was just obnoxious. Most of the plot-holes are fixed and the ridiculous moments have been changed, but I can't do anything about the scene translation at the moment. I'll definitely add 1-3 chapters before chapter 3 to establish things, though.

 ** _Dead Randy walking:_** That's pretty much it, really.

 ** _critcfical:_** Good points. Most of these flaws have been fixed, but there are still issues with scene translating and time-skips in general. World-building definitely needs to have more of a role, which is why Season 2 is a bit slower than Season 1. There's a lot more going on in Season 2/3 than there is in Season 1, so there's that.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 34_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _MP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _SP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _EXP: 15,605/18,220_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 24/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 65/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 18/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 33 [38]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 33 [38]_**

 ** _Perception: 34 [36]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	19. 19 - Criminal Shenanigans and Reunion

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 _ **"A person who has lost everything, and gains something afterwards, becomes the most horrific of monsters to keep it."**_

* * *

 _It looked all the same to him._

 _Corpses blurred together. Civilians. Policemen. Tukson._

 _Nothing but death._

 _Cinder would burn anything that was in her way._

 _Torchwick would kill anyone to stay alive._

 _Neo would love to kill just for the sake of it._

 _The White Fang would do anything to kill innocent humans, even children._

 _Who cared about the outcome of the war on Salem?_

 _In the end, everyone will lose._

 _No one will win._

 _There could be no winning._

 _How many people must he kill until he reached Salem?_

 _How many times must he almost kill his friends until it was all over?_

 _He didn't want to love anymore if he had to bury his loved ones in the future._

 _Jaune was sorry._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

At times like this, he thought back to the question he first asked himself, about whether or not this was a game. To be honest, back then he'd mainly just trust the Game itself-though even now, there were a lot of times he wasn't sure about the difference. Hell, there were times he asked himself if he _was_ playing a game and how he could tell. What did the 38 on his Wisdom stat mean, really? He could test his speed, dexterity, masteries, and, though it was a bit more difficult, how many skills he mastered, but how could he do that for Wisdom? No, he couldn't, not when he refused to _look_ where he needed to look.

But then there were moments when he _thought_ he could understand, and he'd be wrong.

Wisdom reflects ugly and hard truths in life-an ever-present impulse to ignore and minimise our feelings, an aversion to calling for the truth. And, perhaps, killing Tukson had given him some sort of freedom-freedom that filled his mind with disgust; it was a feeling he hated. A feeling that was _sick_ , twisted, malevolent in its own right. He knew the satisfaction of killing a member of the White Fang, but knowing that feeling was a lie; he couldn't help but feel his face become frigid.

Could he even trust anything at all? Was Cinder watching him with callous smirks or was Mercury begging to laugh at his ability to not want to kill people? Were Neo and Roman lying through their own masks, and did he even matter to them?

Instinct told him that, no, they didn't care. None of them did - and why would they? Why would they care for a _simple_ _mook_ who'd go nowhere in life?

Slowly, Jaune's ragged breathing became subdued.

Then, it was quiet.

Quiet, silent, soundless, one word would do to describe the scene. Rat's chamber was filled with prototypes, more accomplished versions of said weapons, and the finished versions. Weapons that once failed to shine even slightly would now glow without any sunlight; and, it gave Jaune some sort of warmth that he'd desperately try to keep - only for it to go. Jaune couldn't stop shaking because his thoughts were filled with voices.

 _"You killed Tukson - and for what? To live?"_

 _"You could've spared that man and died instead."_

 _"Stop lying to yourself; stop hurting yourself-!"_

"Goddammit," He sighed, "Shut the hell up."

Standing in front of the white window; Jaune yawned. His eyes were blood-shot from a lack of sleep; and, it felt like routine to wake up in the early hours of the morning. Cinder would never want him or anyone else to become lax on their responsibilities, especially since they're her _pawns._ At an instant, Jaune's grip tightened so much that nails were digging deeper into his skin than usual. "Can't fucking believe this," Jaune sighed, "I just can't stop feeling numb over Tukson - how the hell did everything turn this way?"

Jaune ignored his question, knowing that there would be no answer: answers weren't given, donated, not anymore. And this he believed: that the free, peaceful life that he had was gone, disappearing just like that. Just like that. He didn't know whether to snarl or laugh; it was ironic how his situation devolved into such a cluster-fuck, and it was already ironic from the beginning. Now? It just felt like a joke - but he was the punchline, the one who'd make the audience laugh. He'd just sit in the middle of the crowd; making people laugh, but not laughing himself, and there was no excuse for it. No excuse for what Rat had done-!

 _'-No,'_ He interjected, _'Not what Rat had done, but what I did.'_

Tukson's voice was still in his head - and it couldn't stop rewinding the whole scene. Sometimes, his mind would rewind specific parts of what he'd said, and sometimes it would say it all. You know what the worst part of listening to that entire speech? When he admitted that he had a family in Vacuo.

 _"I just want to go back to my family in Vacuo-!"_

With a snarl, Jaune threw one of the prototypes into a wall and it dropped to the floor with a rough clang. He sat on the bed, covering his mask with his own two hands. He couldn't stop himself from hearing his voice, _Tukson's_ fucking voice, over and over and over again-! Then, his body stopped shaking. "-It's fine; just breathe in and breathe out. Forget about what happened," Jaune said, but it wouldn't do anything. Not at all.

You can forget about many things, but never something like this.

What he _hated_ was the fact that he felt nothing over Tukson's death. He cried, tears ran down his face, and he never forgot the tightening of his chest or Tukson's ragged breathing. He couldn't forget the silent bang, or the thud or anything at all, but afterwards? He felt _nothing._ He felt himself calm down when he reminded himself that this was the right thing to do, that he was giving Tukson an easy and peaceful death, but he _knew_ he wasn't giving him an easy death. Tukson's face was filled with terror, later horror, at the discovery of who he was.

Tukson knew that he would've died - and he didn't even resist. He just looked like as if the world crushed his spine - like as if it just laughed at him as he tried to get back up, but couldn't. So, the only thing he could do, was beg for help.

 _"Please! I'll do anything, just let me go-!"_

He sighed. There, by his hand, was his revolver. Clean, with subtle traces of red blots, blots that were impossible to wipe after minutes of trying. It was ironic how he had decided to name the gun after Tukson, himself, since it was all he could do to respect the man. For now. Anyways, what was he thinking about? Ah, right, he was thinking about what happened.

Nobody came for help. Nobody came to help him, nobody tried to save him, and the world watched as he died - yet people were walking outside doing their normal things. And what happened to the owner of a simple bookshop? He was murdered - and Jaune Arc was the killer. He _killed_ an innocent, yet Blake thought that he was simply a guy on the wrong side?

"No," Jaune growled as he reloaded his bloody revolver, "I'm a criminal, Torchwick's second highest henchman, and Cinder and I are no longer different. We're the same - and that's it." He mumbled to himself, cocking the revolver and making sure that the revolver was tightly in-place; for, he didn't want any accidents.

A criminal like him, after he has brushed the dust and the chips of his old life, will have left only the hard, thorough questions to answer: Was it good or was it evil? Did he do well - or ill? And he knew the answer to that; but, it didn't matter anymore in the long run. He shot Tukson, broke an entire family to pieces, robbed a bank and harmed old men in shops - and he did it for the sake of Vale.

He was _done_ with telling lies to himself.

Now, _he_ was going to control the direction of his life - and he would make sure that it wouldn't end like it did the last time.

So, looking at the glass of wine that was standing on the corner of his window, Jaune decided to grab it and throw it into a wall. Watching the breaking glass fall to the ground with a loud crack, followed by a bitter glance at the windows outside, and he knew what to do. With soft sounds of small steps, followed by a whine of an opening door, Jaune walked with a black mask on his face.

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part II ~_**

* * *

 _Vale_

As soon as he walked in the room, all five of the residents looked at him with a variation of looks. From Cinder's subtle smirk to Neo's small frown, Jaune walked towards the sofa and turned on the TV, simply watching the Vale News report about Tukson's murder. With a blank stare in his mask, Jaune's head turned to look at the revolver resting on the black arm, before giving the gun a pat.

Slowly, Neo walked towards Jaune, carefully patting him on the shoulder. Jaune sighed, "What is it?" Neo's look turned into a glare - and Jaune used gestures of surrendering in response, "Sorry," He spoke quietly, "I'm a bit... _tucked_ in at the moment." Jaune didn't laugh at the pun - and neither did Neo. Meanwhile, the rest were busy working on their own projects and plans for dealing with Vale. As usual. So, with a scroll, Neo began to type.

After a few taps, Neo showed her scroll, _"You know, puns aren't going to hide your mood."_

Jaune looked away, "I know that," He said softly, glancing again at the revolver as if it was going to kill him, "I just never expected to kill Tukson in an instant like that, you know? One moment, we were robbing a bank, and the next?" He shook his head, "Goddammit, I was stupid to not think that it'd happen so soon." Jaune's shoulders seemed to fold in onto himself - and he was gazing at the police who were surrounding the building. Sirens seemed to blare in the background, and not to his surprise, the police didn't know anything.

 _'Of course they wouldn't know anything,'_ He thought, _'We did a fantastic job when it came to cleaning the premises, so to speak.'_

Neo typed, _"I can't really help you a lot when it comes to... dealing with these kind of things."_ Jaune looked at her, nodding slowly as she carefully typed in a few characters on a miniature list of keys. _"Look, how did you feel after what happened?"_

Jaune paused, "Nothing. I just felt numb - as if it was just nothing at all, like I just committed a robbery or something."

Neo frowned, _"Absolutely nothing? No random breakdowns, no panic attacks, no feelings of the sort?"_

"None of them. It took until a few hours later to actually... begin to experience effects."

Neo sighed, _"Oh for fuck's sake, I could've dealt with the situation...'_

Jaune shook his head, "No, Neo." He paused, "I was ordered to do it, remember? Torchwick is our boss - and we follow his orders, don't we? Besides, I suppose it was best for the event to happen sooner rather than at a later stage."

Neo turned to Jaune's direction, _"How about we go to my garden? Maybe, that'll take your mind off things. You never know,"_ Neo winked, resulting in more winking when Jaune's mask paused as if the man was taking his time to make an eye roll. "Sure," He said quietly, "I don't see why we can't head over."

After that, Neo and Jaune walked out of the halls, turning left to head down a peculiar hall. The walls seemed to have little roots embedded within them - but they weren't spreading across the building, it was almost like as if they were being docile. And that was a curious thing; for, he hadn't seen plants that acted that way before. It was a peculiar experience; one that Jaune wouldn't forget for a while. He may have seen strange things, but little roots travelling amongst areas whilst being docile? It was a little more than peculiar.

 _'Wait a moment, isn't this the tutorial area?'_

To be damned, it was. It was the same as always - and Jaune was already feeling some sort of nostalgic shade go all-over-him. He just felt nostalgic; gazing at the brilliant windows, the sycamore trees that were far taller than before, and he couldn't help but chuckle. Neo looked at him with a raised eyebrow, before crossing arms with a frown.

 _"I guess,"_ She typed, _"You find the plants funny?"_

Jaune raised an eyebrow, "Of course not," He amended, "It's just that it feels nostalgic; I actually went to an area that looked a lot like this one."

Neo did raise an eyebrow at that, before looking at him with curiosity. _"I didn't know you were interested in plants, too. Sure, you did know a little about plants, but you didn't seem to know that much about it."_ Jaune shrugged - and gazed at a Venus Flytrap, "That's a Venus Flytrap, right?"

She nodded, _"Oh, those nasty things?_ " She rolled her eyes and pouted, _"They're fucking annoying; always biting anything that touches them. They're known for trapping insects, mainly flies. Anyways, you're thinking, aren't you?"_

Jaune blinked, "Oh did you know?"

Neo looked at him, _"You haven't been moving for a while."_

Jaune cleared his throat and looked away, "Well," He amended, "I did just wake up, so-"

 _"-It's fine, don't worry about it."_ Neo nodded; turning to him, _"Y'know, I can see you becoming way better if you used smoke bombs, poisons, etc."_

"Really?" Jaune spoke with surprise, "That... makes sense, actually. I'm usually a frontal-" Neo smirked, which made Jaune sigh, "Neo, could you not try to tease me every five seconds?" Neo shook her head - and Jaune rolled his eyes, "Of course not," He sighed.

Neo chuckled, _"Anyways, you're an offensive fighter, and you do often try to fight in close quarters rather than stay at the rear."_ Jaune blinked, _"If you laced your weapons with poisons? If you used smoke bombs with paralysis agents? Yeah, you'd give those kids a hard time-!"_

"I don't know if that'd be necessary," Neo looked at him in surprise, only to look at Jaune's mask, "I'll give it a try; but those kids... they're just kids."

Neo frowned, "Do you really think that fighting kids is fair?"

"No, but-!"

"Ask yourself: 'if these people had the opportunity to use lethal weapons, would they?' And again, think about it, these kids are almost lethal adults. It's best off if we deal with them now," She sighed, "Yes, it's horrible, but it has to be done."

"Well, I know that these kids wouldn't use those weapons," He spoke, "Besides, one of those kids is fifteen. Fifteen! How are we supposed to deal with a childish fifteen year old who keeps on interrupting us all-the-time?"

"We either incapacitate her or we kill her," Neo shrugged, "It's simple as that."

Jaune spoke, "True. But, I don't want to be a child murderer," He began to speak quietly, "I killed someone yesterday."

Neo patted Jaune's shoulder in sympathy, "If it's good to know..." Jaune turned towards her, "Killing is never easy or fun. It's a horrible thing to do; we just have no choice but to do it."

-X-

 ** _Poisons - (Passive Skill), {Unlocked}, [LVL: 1 - 20%]_**

 ** _Description:_** The vital understanding of poisons and their uses. Higher LVL = higher understanding/mastery in the skill.

 _ **Note:**_ Can be used in conjunction with _**[Bombs]**_ and **_[Weapon Enhancing/Imbue]_** , skills that you just unlocked.

-X-

Looking away, Jaune asked a question. "About what you said," Neo turned to him, "Can you help me learn how to fight using bombs, poisons, and the sort?"

Neo's smirk couldn't have been more prominent.

* * *

 _Vale_

 _Beacon Academy_

Professor Goodwitch walked around in Ozpin's office; simply thinking to herself. Meanwhile, Ozpin was drinking a cup of coffee, but there was a focused look on his face that was rather different than usual. This was the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, not the coffee-addicted maniac who kept on asking cryptic questions as a way of advice.

"Where could he be, Ozpin? Mr Arc has been missing for months - and I don't know where he is." Goodwitch turned to Ozpin, sighing a few moments later at the subject. "I admit," She paused, "We could've saw something through Mr Arc's prior activities, but there was no reason to assume..."

"-That he'd go missing." Ozpin nodded, "There are a few possibilities, and there's always that one possible outcome..."

Professor Goodwitch gave a small frown and stood sharply, "Why would Mr Arc decide to work with Torchwick, of all people? Torchwick-" She said his name with distaste, "-Is a man who would do anything to survive. He even tried to kill Mr Arc - and what would he work with Torchwick for? Money, revenge, hostages? It just makes no sense for him to work with a man who, if it weren't for the doctors successfully reviving Mr Arc, would've killed him."

Ozpin took another sip from his coffee, softly putting the cup down on the desk with a clank. "There could be many reasons for why a person acts so strangely, Glynda." He raised the cup again to take a sip from his coffee, again. "People are very, very strange creatures - and we never know how others think. Most think that what they're doing is right - or necessary. Others, however, know that their actions are wrong but do it for different reasons."

Glynda looked at Ozpin in the eyes, "If what you're saying is true..." She stood still, "It would mean that Mr Arc could have a possible link to Tukson's murder."

"Nobody knows who killed Tukson, and neither do I." Ozpin admitted, "-And if it turns out that Mr Arc killed an innocent, even if _he_ was apart of the White Fang? Mr Arc will have to face trial; and you know what they'll do."

"Put him in prison," She said softly, "He'd have no chance to live a normal life if he was arrested, Ozpin, and we both know that."

Ozpin nodded, "I don't know what to do right now; we don't know who Rat is, and we don't know where Mr Arc is, either."

"So," She folded her arms, "You're saying that we should wait?"

Ozpin stood up, "No," He shook his head, "We're definitely doing something about it. If Mr Arc is, in fact, the dangerous criminal himself, then we'll have to deal with him in due time. Meanwhile," He pressed a small button on the side of the desk, "May Miss Xiao Long head to the Headmaster's office?"

Glynda walked towards the side of the desk, her eyes darted to the massive tower in the back, watching it stand over the whole of Beacon with no movement. "I hope we find Mr Arc," She said quietly, "I don't want another student to die because we didn't realise what was going on."

Ozpin sighed, "It won't come to that, Glynda. I'll make sure of it."

A few minutes later, Yang walked into the office, folding her arms with a frown. "So, could anyone explain to me what this is about?"

Ozpin stood up - and had another sip of coffee. "Miss Xiao-Long," He looked at Yang, "Could you tell us what happened when you met Mr Arc?"

* * *

 ** _~TFNF~ To Forgive & Never Forget ~TFNF~_**

 ** _~ Part IV ~_**

* * *

 _Mistral_

Outside of a medium-sized camp in Mistral, an armoured woman with a red nodachi walked out of a gate, with a small frown inside of her mask. The winds weren't howling - and there was a crowd of people waving at her in farewell, including a brown-haired girl with blue eyes. Ironically, there was a mask on her face, a white mask that had red markings in the sockets of the eyes.

Quickly, a portal opened, flickering at the same spot for a few moments. The flickering stopped - and the woman subtly sighed in relief, shaking her head at the portal in front of her.

"I'm going to find you," She said, "-And I'm going to stop you for the sake of myself and my tribe."

Then, the portal closed.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

 ** _TheSetupMage:_** Jaune and Pyrrha have vast differences in development; Jaune seems way more human than Pyrrha. Pyrrha has virtually no flaws (other than how to handle genuine interactions, I think) whilst Jaune has way more flaws and being cowardly was an example. Jaune isn't OP, can genuinely snap, and Volume 5 Chapter 11 showed this. I think Ruby has the most potential for moral development since she hasn't even changed at all.

 ** _The Critic:_** One of my favourite reviews. First off, thanks for giving such an in-depth review over why Chapter 3's other scene sucked (I looked at it again and ended up agreeing with you), I pretty much thought your points made sense. I'll be frank; I did fuck up that scene a lot - and you pointed it out (I don't know why most people liked it), I've managed to rewrite both Chapter 3 and Chapter 1. So, cheers!

 ** _GamehunterMC:_** Glad to see that you're enjoying the fanfic! Thanks for reading all of the chapters; I greatly appreciate it.

 ** _Dead Randy walkin:_** Yeah, we're finally seeing Roman and Neo being their usual criminal selves, and it's nice to see that they're pretty spot-on. Team RWBY probably need some time to figure everything out. Now that Jaune has acknowledged himself a criminal, he won't be lying to himself about it.

 ** _lord of tea:_** Thanks!

 ** _theory:_** I'll admit that theory has some substance to it; I can see how you got to that conclusion. However, there are a few questions: How does the power outage occur? What kind of experiment was the MC working on? What did tear him apart? We don't know the answers to these questions - so there is no guarantee that it will go as you expect.

However, your evidence is pretty solid, actually. Having the MC fearing the dark makes a lot of sense - and I can see how you got to that conclusion. Again, as you said, it explains _why_ the MC snaps (leading to straight-up trying to kill Blake without thinking of his actions) and it would show more substance to the MC. Your theory isn't bad at all - and you'll find out why the MC came to be in Remnant.

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 34_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _MP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _SP: 3400/3400_**

 ** _EXP: 15,605/18,220_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 24/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 65/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 18/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 42 [50]_**

 ** _Vitality: 39 [43]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 33 [38]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 33 [38]_**

 ** _Perception: 34 [36]_**

 ** _Agility: 43 [43]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	20. 20 - Of Daggers And Scythes

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"The cycle runs, it moves, and I keep moving forward and back -_**

 ** _'till I stop running and look at what I've done -_**

 ** _and then I snap."_**

* * *

 _Jaune looked at the report that detailed about how Jaune Arc was missing._

 _Over and over._

 _Over and over._

Overandover.

Overandover.

Ov ** _er_** and ** _ov_** er.

 ** _JU_** _ST **STOPTH**_ ** _ISFE_** _ELI **NG**_. ** _ICAN't_** _Ta **Ke** th **isANYMORE**_

 _STOP_

 ** _THIS FEELING_**

 _"Oh, right! Beacon. I'll see you guys soon, okay? Love you!"_

 _"Love you too, Jaune!"_

 _I'm sorry, Juniper. Dad._

 _I'm so sorry._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Vale_

Jaune woke up at seven and started running the moment he got out of bed. He'd thought about things last night and had decided for sure-he needed to have some fun. Not only was stress ruining his psyche, there was also things that needed to be dealt with: training; levelling up; getting a few skills (medical skills were high-priority) and some more crazy shit.

 ** _[Diligent training caused your STR/VIT to increase by 1!]_**

He turned to stare at the red screen, palming his face over why he was surprised.

 _'Oh for fuck's sake, does it really matter now?'_

It did, actually. There were a few questions he wanted to ask, an example being: how many points could he get per level? Truth-be-told, he should've dealt with this when he was in Beacon, not right now, but he was curious enough to figure the whole world out. He'd need to test how exactly these mechanics worked, experiment to see if it applied to other circumstances and how he could improve all-of-them, though he had a bit-of-an-idea with the physical ones.

From eight-to-ten, he'd make the typical robberies. Of course, this was done to steal some Lien rather than dust, this was because Cinder was executing phase II rather than phase I. Speaking of robbing shops, which weapons should he take with him? Sure, he had some of the prototypes in the backroom and his _normal_ weapons, but he preferred to have innovative and efficient weapons. The _only_ weapons he used were the blunted daggers that always needed sharpening, and his revolver.

This wasn't enough to deal with people who had _way_ higher LVLs than he did; what could he do without his weapons? Approach them in hand-to-hand combat and bombs? He'd only just started on using smoke bombs and, perhaps, a prototype for a flash-bang but making those things were _expensive._ Dust inflation was becoming a horrible issue because of robberies - but it wouldn't be long until it started coming back down.

Of course, there was always the situation where he didn't _have_ enough dust.

He needed to upgrade that revolver; perhaps a grenade launcher-revolver mix? That'd be a good idea; the grenades could force people back and give him time to come up with plans. What would a revolver do? Fire bullets?

What about the daggers? Maybe he could implement shock dust for the daggers; the only problem would be people with semblances that countered this (like Nora). He could just make the daggers SMGs as well; it'd be his own homage to Ren and Nora. That was precisely why he needed a third weapon, though. If RWBY got CFVY and NPR involved then he'd have a wild time dealing with students who, together, would beat the shit out of him. Anyone who thinks that they wouldn't beat the shit out of him after stealing their vehicle and kidnapping friends/relatives are idiots.

Here's the first rule of the Gaming Handbook: "If you ever play in Legendary Mode, prepare for anything and everything."

It was rather good advice.

Of course, between making blueprints for upgrading weapons and training, Jaune was also staring at white walls.

This was the reason why Juniper was wondering what the fuck was going on with her little brother.

Juniper yawned. "Why are you running at seven in the morning?"

Jaune grinned. "Why not?" His grin widened at her small sigh.

"You're a smart-ass."

"You're sassy."

Jaune went back to running around the living room; noticing Yang and Neptune strapped to two chairs but shrugging regardless. The two of them weren't conscious; if anything, they looked like they were just knocked out again.

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Did you knock them out?" Juniper stuck into a bowl with a fork, shrugging. How she managed to eat with her mask on was a mystery for him; he always had breakfast at a later time than everyone else because he didn't want anyone to see his face. That would've been very, very, awkward.

"If I told you that I didn't, would you believe me?"

Jaune shook his head. "Nope."

Juniper grinned. "Exactly."

 _'Sarcastic, much?'_ Jaune ran towards the dishes, filling the washing up bowl with hot water (of course, he put some cold water in) and was already grabbing the sponge near the hot tap. Washing the dishes had only taken a few minutes - and it wouldn't take long until he dried them and put all of them in the appropriate positions. Another screen popped up at his face - but he dismissed it.

He turned towards Juniper. "Keep an eye on those two while I'm gone; I won't be long." He finished with a quiet voice, placing his revolver and daggers in his pockets.

Looks like it was going to be a training session as the Rat himself.

* * *

Do you ever get that experience where you get something you didn't know you've been missing for so long?

Jaune ran across even concrete - soft taps were all that he heard under his feet. With haste, he jumped from one rooftop to another, landing on the next with a harsh thud. Only his footsteps thumped on the rooftops, and he streaked past a few crates to land down onto the ground. He heard sounds of sirens blaring; for, the infamous criminal was afoot in Vale. He ran to the end of the rooftops and jumped over; only to drop down when his face hit the wall. Slamming his daggers into the wall, Jaune watched himself descend down the building - all who could see him were stunned.

Upon hearing heavy thumps behind him, he grinned. Now, _this_ was how you pull off a training session! Various police officers galloped behind him; aiming their guns at his back. Jaune spun his dagger around, watching sparks fly off and land on his white mask but he couldn't even think at-the-moment. Giving a sharp turn, he jumped onto a brick-wall and raised an eyebrow.

There were various police cars waiting for him on the other side! He ducks, as he feels the blood coming to his face. He forces himself out of his excited daze, dashes to the other end of the street, and climbs the bronze ladder. A single thought allowed him to rush up the ladder whilst feeling adrenaline, watching the ladder shake with every push and pull. A harsh kick to the ladder forced it to collapse; falling backwards with a mighty clang. Police officers were very close behind him now.

Jaune continued to retreat; officers kept advancing.

He countered with a few smoke bombs.

But one girl in red deflected them.

Instead of looking at who had deflected them, Jaune ran ahead. He pulled himself to his feet, almost tearing the collar and heard the slight rasp of material tearing. He scaled up the building with his daggers, biting his tongue at the metallic hiss whining in his ears non-stop. There, he stood silently, walking away once he didn't hear anyone climb upwards-

Shit.

Jaune spun around and ducked underneath a scythe.

He jumped back, looking into the silver eyes of the girl before him. Silver, but blood-shot eyes, bloodshot from what must've been a lack of sleep. Most of the time, Ruby would've gazed at his face with a real smile, but the girl from before was replaced by a tired teenager who wanted her sister back. Could he give Yang and Neptune back to them so easily? He could, but he couldn't think of an idea on _how_ to move the aforementioned without having the police arriving a few minutes afterwards.

He suppressed a sigh before taking a deep, resolving breath and turning to face the scythe his body had avoided. Only seconds have passed since the police were warded off; but, Ruby could've been chasing after him for the entire time. But, even that small pause meant Ruby had taken her time waiting for him and he wondered if she was dragging her feet or if she just knew he couldn't run. Or perhaps she was letting herself stew in her thoughts, giving herself time to think things through, trying to think of a plan that'd stop him without doing so permanently.

"A fair first strike," Jaune said with confidence he couldn't feel. "But perhaps a bit more care would be appropriate? I wouldn't say trying to cut someone into two was considered a polite thing to do, well, unless times have changed."

Slowly, she turned to look at him, expression a mixture of sorrow, resolve, and surprising determination.

"Please, don't make me hurt you." Ruby spoke at last.

His reply was charging ahead.

She reacted quickly, her scythe whirling into place at a speed he'd been impressed by. She seemed a lot quicker, and perhaps stronger, than before.

But, somethings change. She was still fast, faster than he could move, but not too fast for him to perceive—and there was more to fighting than speed, however advantageous it may be. Distance, for example, was always a key-factor; even if she could strike at him faster than vice-versa, he needed to cover far less distance. As the scythe struck at him like a lurching snake, he danced back a few steps and jumped slightly to the right as one bullet almost found home on his face. As it did, a glimmer of light shined on the two, but Ruby seemed too focused— too enthused— to not think about anything else.

A moment after the first bullet landed, Ruby adjusted her scythe, angles shortening as tips turned to form the humongous weapon. He crouched slightly to avoid the first swing that passed his face and skated a pair of steps back to let the scythe dig deeply into the concrete in front of him. A moment later, he rose, a quick hop letting a foot plant itself on the blade's heel and he dodged the series of strikes by swerving, a step taking him to rest on the edge of the roof and then up to his feet.

In an instant, emotional silver eyes bored into his blood-shot blue ones, all but watering as he prepared to move again. In an instant, her scythe whirled towards him like a crescent set to cut him in half even as he moved away to avoid Ruby's assault. He couldn't hope to push her back, he knew that, but he didn't have to as long as Ruby didn't manage to give him a single strike. Jaune watched as roses formed around her, the girl just inches from touching his hands. But, he lunged with two daggers, hearing them whine against the unrelenting scythe.

A rush of air passed the two of them, and instantly, Jaune dropped to the side as he learned back as far as he could. Jaune wondered if he could somehow damage the transformation gears of her scythe; and henceforth, keep her stuck in one single form and end the fight quickly. The best case scenario for him — and the hopeful scenario too — was that Ruby would end up with a locked sniper rifle. However, considering the fact that Ruby kept using her scythe for offensive strategies, this was pretty much a null idea. Hence, he abandoned the idea with a grimace. That wasn't happening.

He pushed himself back up to the ground

Jaune's blue eyes bored into Ruby's silver ones. "So, what do you want-?"

"-Neptune and my sister." Ruby said quietly, silver eyes narrowing sharply. "Just give them back; I'm not going to turn you to the police. I don't want to hurt you!"

"I'm afraid that I can't let you have them," He said flatly. "Sorry, but I need to have bargaining chips to stop you and your friends from bothering me all-the-time."

"Bargaining chips?! You think my sister and one of my friends are _bargaining chips?!_ " Ruby was tearing up, her eyes actually widening incredulously. The emotional display was already making his heart ache for the girl. "What kind of sick person would treat others as bargaining chips-?!"

"-Me." Jaune told her whilst ignoring his sadness for Ruby. He was focusing a bit more on what was going on around him-particularly any ideas that'd help him escape the situation and sort this out. "Now, are we going to get this over with?"

"Please! I won't even hurt you! I know you're lying; you don't think of others as tools!"

"Maybe, you're the one who's _lying._ Ruby, assuming how others think is a trait that gets people killed."

"What about Jaune? You didn't hurt Jaune, you didn't lay a finger on him, did you? He was my friend-!"

"-And do I care?" He coldly asked. "Honestly, what is _wrong_ with you? You act like this is a little game - like the whole world will bow to your knees and you keep expecting to do whatever the hell you want." Jaune's scowl interrupted Ruby's retort. "Look, kid, I'm a horrible guy who does shitty things to nice people. It's best if you just get this over with." He was slowly becoming impatient, and the grip on his weapons tightened.

Ruby shook, making Jaune pause. "I thought you were misunderstood," she whispered quietly. "I thought that, maybe, you were just a guy who needed help from the other side, so that you could be like us. People who wanted to help others..."

Jaune shook his head.

"You were wrong," He admitted. "I already told one of your friends that if I was a good person, I never would've done the things I did." He caressed the barrel of the revolver on his left pocket, releasing a shaky breath afterwards. "Look... if it's worth anything; I don't want to hurt you. I never wanted to hurt anyone, and I hope to god you never end up like me. So, _please_ ," his voice became soft and Jaune sounded tired, "Don't ever lose yourself, okay?"

The area around them was silent, quiet, basking in a world with no sound.

And with Crescent Rose's metallic whine, Ruby slowly nodded.

Ruby rushed towards him, delivering a powerful slash that blitzed the air above Jaune. Jaune blocked every powerful slash with his shaking daggers; his arms were shivering from the frigid weather and rain dripped down to the ground. With no sound, he swung with a powerful series of kicks that Ruby swerved around. Two people fought with their weapons like a quick song - neither dancers refused to give up their movements and stopped holding back. Jaune danced back a few steps and swirled underneath a ferocious slash, and he could feel the frigid air brushing his face. And it told him just how dangerous she really was; it really did.

Jaune couldn't remember how many times their weapons screamed. He couldn't remember how many times Ruby stared right into his own eyes, and how many times she almost lost herself to her anger. Her anger, her frustration, her... _pain._ And the horrible irony of the situation was that—Jaune felt as horrible as she did—this was something he had never wanted to do. And here he was, avoiding strikes, staring a terrified Ruby in the face whilst holding the appearance of a cold-blooded murderer.

The edge of the rooftops was close to him now.

Ruby continued to advance; Jaune caught his own breath.

Suddenly, Ruby kept up an assault with the scythe.

And the man jumped over to face her back.

Ruby spun to give a mighty swing, interrupted by Jaune's tight grip on her left wrist. She tried kicking him in the thigh, only for Jaune to lift one of his legs to block her strike, but that was what she wanted. She arched her scythe back and aimed at his other leg; for, she knew that it'd force him to retreat. With a mutter, Jaune jumped back and advanced once again, listening for a clang to happen. Hearing no clang had made Jaune's eyes widen with surprise, before watching Crescent Rose give a metallic hiss.

Instead of looking behind him, though, he focused on Ruby. He had tried to stop himself from falling, but a scythe forced him to land down straight-to-the-ground. Air from above rushed on top of him. He moved to the right, avoiding a kick to the face. He lifted himself up from the ground - barely moving his hands away from the scythe that would've cut the skin. His body ached with fervour, his ears were ringing from blaring sirens, but he grit his teeth and Ruby advanced towards him.

Both combatants were suddenly close to a wall; watching Ruby's eyes widen like she was remembering a old memory. She was flung back because of Jaune's swinging kick, tumbling down onto the concrete floor with a shake. Jaune advanced ahead with his daggers, aiming the bases at the back of Ruby's neck, only to block a ferocious spin from her. Jaune held a breath at Ruby's tears, her body slowly rose, shaking from the kick.

"Please, just stop fighting and let me take them back to Beacon." She spoke with an unsteady voice. "Look! We can just help you! You can stop being a criminal, you can be a good person, and you could learn to do-!"

"-To do what? To be a huntsman and die after a few decades?" Jaune shook his head. "Kid, I don't want to train for my entire life and leave an entire family crying at my own funeral because I wanted to be a _huntsman._ "

"No!" Ruby shook her head. "I'm just saying-!"

"-Saying what? Are you saying that you'd spend your whole life trying to emulate, say, I don't know, someone else to make them proud?" Ruby stood still. "Well, kiddo! I'm sure your sister would like another grave to stare at, wouldn't she?" He opened his left pocket and a revolver dropped onto his right hand. And with the quick draw of a revolver, he pretended to fire as he watched Ruby's face scream shock.

Jaune kept his aim still, speaking with a cold tone. "See? You gave me an opportunity to shoot you right on the spot; and, it only took playing with your emotions to do it." Ruby's eyes were tearing up, but Jaune didn't seem to care. "What? Are you going to cry because things didn't go your way?"

"I know your type. You're the kind of person who was told by everyone around you about some _amazing_ story that talks about how everyone became huntsman and managed to save the day." He paused. "Then, you lost someone important to you, but you _still_ wanted to be a huntsman to make them proud, right?" Ruby didn't make a single sound.

Jaune sighed. "Yeah, kid, about that?" He gazed into Ruby's eyes. "Life as a huntsman is hell. You lose people, you wish you could do better, you wish that you could've done something to save a family." He turned away. "Or even yours..." Ruby gazed at his mask, not noticing the tears running down her face.

"What I'm trying to say, Ruby, is that being a huntsman isn't great. It's a shitty job - and whoever said that it was a glorious position was a fucking idiot." Ruby gripped her scythe tightly, narrowing her eyes at the man before her.

"Speaking of which, you're a fucking idiot." He snarled. "Looking for your loved ones and fighting me, I understand. But looking for your loved ones, fighting me, but not bringing your team along with you or talking to them about this? Grade A stupidity! The kind of stupidity that'd land you right into a grave." He applauded. "Well done, Ruby Rose! You're proving yourself to be an amazing sister, an amazing protector, and an _amazing_ huntsman-!"

"-Shut up." She grit her teeth.

"Grow the fuck up, will you?" He asked with a roll of his eyes. "Do you really think the world cares about you? That it'll just let you live a life of peace for absolutely nothing? It won't let you live in peace. I learned that lesson when I became a criminal, when I killed an ordinary man who just happened to have shitty luck. That's life for you! It doesn't care about you, it'll eat you and spit you right out, and do it again and again! Before all of this, I was uncertain of what I wanted to do in life and I guess I still am in a few ways, but at least this I'm sure of. Life doesn't work the way you want it to, Ruby! And if it did, we wouldn't have lost the people we had lost, and I wouldn't be doing this! So, stop fucking about, and stop being an embarrassment to your family!"

And on the inside, Jaune's face was filled with shock from what he had just said. He didn't mean to say that, he didn't really think that-!

Ruby stood up in the silence, and the look on her face... it was of _pain._ Tears down her eyes, silver eyes glowing a little, and she didn't hesitate to whip her scythe out.

Pieces of concrete from behind her were shattered, and Crescent Rose slammed against his daggers. Jaune's shoes dug into the concrete, watching the tears flow down her face for a second before his daggers gave a metallic screech. Crescent Rose swung past them - the air forced them out of his hands, giving him little time to jump on top of her scythe-

Was this the same person?

Instead of landing on her scythe, Jaune landed on the stable concrete floor. The edge of the concrete shot out from under him. She gave a brutal slash once again. He rolled to the right, ignoring the parade beneath them, but she tried to kick him in the face. A bullet grazed his mask, giving the cheek a slight crack. How could she _still_ not see what he was trying to teach her?

Jaune's face burned. An animal snarl clawed its way up his throat. "I'm going to stop holding back." He lunged, swinging and hearing the clangs of metal like a repeating song. He slammed Ruby into the wall. Then Ruby pushed him back, gazing with her narrowed silver eyes. She swung her scythe out of the way and smashed his face into the ground with it. Jaune tumbled into the rough floor but got up, swerving away from various swings, countered with a ferocious punch. Ruby heard the loud sound of a bang; feeling a bullet graze her face. She didn't scream, weep, or bother with checking her cheek. She just charged ahead.

Ruby charged ahead, but Jaune aimed with a revolver.

Each and every bullet only felt Crescent Rose's exterior.

Pausing, Jaune countered with a quick kick.

And the girl with the scythe blocked it.

Jaune shook his head. "After what happened, you _still_ don't understand why I'm doing this." Ruby gripped Crescent Rose tightly, trying to push him back. Jaune jumped back and fired a hailstorm of bullets, watching her run around the area at the bursting of air.

"You kidnapped my sister, one of my friends, tried to kill my other friends and you _think_ you have the right to tell me that I don't know anything? That I have no idea of what the life of a huntsman is like?" Harder, she pushed with Crescent Rose. "All for what? Just tell me _why_ you want to do this!"

Jaune threw a smoke bomb and her, moving back to get some space. "I have my reasons." Jaune spoke, "-And they're none of your business."

Ruby dashed behind him, giving a mighty lurch. Jaune jumped on top of Crescent Rose, giving a chuckle. "Nostalgic-?" Only to be interrupted by the folding of Crescent Rose, falling to the ground with a thud.

Ruby glanced at the scythe that was close to his throat. Why was he _doing_ this? What could possibly be worth more than Yang and Neptune? Ruby stood with a glare. "Listen, mister. Tell me where Yang and Neptune are, _now._ "

Jaune spoke, "Well, you definitely have-!" He paused at Ruby's look. "-You know what?" He grit his teeth. "Why, in the ever-living fuck should I tell you?"

"They're innocents-!"

"-Yeah, okay, about that?" Jaune said harshly, blue eyes boring into Ruby. "Why should I care? It's not like they matter; who would care if I just killed them off the bat?"

"Wouldn't you want someone to care about you?" Ruby asked. "Someone who loved you for who you are?"

"Why do you _insist_ on asking questions that I don't want to answer, Rubes?" Jaune paused at the slip, not even looking her way. It was the largest display of emotion from him, yet. "

Ruby pressed her hand down onto the mask and exhaled slowly. "Jaune?"

"I'm not Jaune."

"Don't lie to me; only Jaune give me that nickname and nobody else ever took it from him." She stated.

"He did talk about you, you know, before I killed him-!" Ruby gripped the mask tightly, forcing it to crack.

"You're wrong," Her voice cracked. "You disappeared from Beacon because you were pretending to be a criminal - and the SDC incident must've forced you to leave."

"Come on, Red," He chided. "Don't deny the truth; Jaune Arc was a useless boy who'd risked the lives of those around him. Do you really think I am the same guy who'd call you that nick-name, act like some goofy child, and make jokes? Do you really think that the same guy would try to kill you, your friends, kidnap your sister and a friend, work with Roman Torchwick and cooperate with a terrorist organisation?! What is wrong with you?" He scowled.

"Jaune, just stop. Please." She gave his hand a tight squeeze. "I _know_ you're my friend, you're the same guy who'd-!"

"What? Be friends with you one moment, and kill people in the next?" Jaune frowned. "You think, that Jaune Arc, Jaune _fucking_ Arc would harm so many people, cause so much shit, hurt everyone around him for his own crap? What kind of stupid, ridiculous, and preposterous bullshit is that? Look at me, Ruby, think." Ruby looked away. "LOOK AT ME!" Her head snapped towards his direction.

"Look, Jaune-!"

He stood up straight, eyes boring into Ruby. "You think I'm your friend, even after I tried to kill you? Are you that _naive_? Did you even listen to anything I said during the SDC incident or earlier today? No. Let me put this into perspective, _Ruby._ " A snarl climbed up his throat. "I steal shit, I hurt people, and I do way worse than that just to afford a warehouse. I hurt people, I almost killed people, and in _one case?_ " He gripped his revolver tightly.

"Do you think I want to be this way?"

"Well, no, but-!" Her timid voice was all that he heard; her eyes darted away from his mask.

"But what?" Jaune asked. "Did you think that I just wanted to get dragged into this shitty situation? I interrupted the conversation on your scrolls because Roman Torchwick would've killed so many people on that bridge. It was either kidnapping your sister and a friend or letting people die; what kind of fucking piece of shit lets innocent people die? Ruby? Would you be that piece of shit-?"

Ruby grabbed his face, and her arms shook from r _age._ "How dare you act like you know everything about me..."

"Listen, Ruby-!"

"Don't. Speak." Ruby interrupted with tears down her eyes, an angry gaze aimed at him. "You don't know what it's like to look at your team, and wonder if they're going to be alive after a fight with Torchwick. You don't know what it's like to see your team worry about your health; you don't even know what it's like to be a good leader. To be someone others could trust with their lives, because you _ran away_ from your choices."

"Ruby-!"

"You're a coward, Jaune. You say that I'm the one who's an embarrassment, that I'm doing everything wrong, but who ran away from the role of leadership? Who decided to abandon their team; acting like the world was against them? Even if you saved many lives because of what you did, you could've done the same as the leader of Team JNPR. You were my friend, and I still remember the times when you'd be there, helping me through my nightmares with Summer." His hands turned into shaking fists.

"Look, just let me explain-!"

Ruby raised an arm, and that was more than enough to keep him quiet.

"And you hurt me, Jaune. You ran away from me, my team, the rest of your friends, and everyone else! What happened to the Jaune who stood up for Nora in the Forest? What happened to the Jaune who made Pyrrha feel like a genuine person, and not some toy to be used for fame? What happened to him? Because all I see is someone who just replaced him, his feelings, and his appreciation for life. You're just some empty shell of who he was; someone who refuses to look at themselves and see what's wrong with them."

Jaune was stunned, just... stunned.

Ruby put a soft hand on Jaune's shoulder, and her expression just... it just showed pain. It showed exhaustion, anger, frustration, sadness... everything. "Please, just stop doing all of this. Come back to Beacon with me, and we can forget all of this. We can go back to the times when we drank coffee, when you'd have a word battle with Weiss, or read books in the cafeteria."

"Please."

Silence.

When the pain faded, he realised he was slumping. "Nothing matters more than what I have to do, Rubes." His voice became hollow. "I can't give up because I want to see the people I love again. I just can't. I'm stuck. I can't help but think about whether or not it's even worth it. I've tried so hard to look for a purpose, but it's just a fucking gag that nobody gets. Just... get out of here, please." He aimed his revolver, but he was shocked when Ruby folded her scythe.

Why? Why do so much to help someone else?

He wasn't worth it, and a part of her knew that.

So, why...?

"Why?"

"Err, what?"

"Why are you doing this?" Jaune asked. "Why are you _trying_ to help me? Why are you not trying to knock me out and drag me back to Beacon or to the VPD?"

"Because you're my friend, and there's so much more to this than just the fact that you're a criminal."

Confusion.

When Jaune sat down, he remained silent.

He didn't move when Ruby took the mask off, only hearing the small crack.

"Why did you run away, Jaune? Was it because of Torchwick?" Ruby asked, her eyes bored into him. "Was it because you wanted to get back at him?"

He considered remaining silent because it was something that actually mattered, if only to him — but then again, as had Ruby, and he wasn't dumb enough to not think that there wouldn't be any background checks or investigations on his actions. If Ozpin didn't have a face or a name on the Rat, he'd be shocked. Ozpin was one of the most dangerous people ever to live on Remnant — a man who would do anything to stop Salem. How could he dream of being as strong as Ozpin if he wasn't even able to face the consequences of his own actions?

The real question was what Ozpin could and could not do with that information. In the lightest of cases, he'd be let into Beacon again, and they'd keep intensive surveillance on him. And what if he went through the worst situation possible? He'd be arrested for his countless robberies, infiltrating a SDC facility, and working with a terrorist organisation. There was no chance in hell Ozpin would be _that_ tolerant and let him back in. A part of him worried about it for a long time and he still did, definitely did, regardless of the consequences that'd happen but... a part of him wanted Ruby to know about his situation. If there was any person on this planet who wanted to see _something_ that'd convince her to understand him, it'd be her.

And maybe, just maybe, he just wanted someone to understand him. Not as Jaune Arc or Rat, but as the guy who was struggling to deal with his own actions and everything around him.

"It wasn't Torchwick who made me snap." He said honestly, his eyes darting away from Ruby. It was the most obvious display of doubt shown from him yet. "I wanted to run away from it all. The expectations, the ideals, everything really." He said quietly. "I just wanted to be something more than the Arc's weakest kid, to be a person. I wanted to live a life of freedom, rather than being pressured by others to do things I didn't want to do."

Jaune listened for sirens, sighing when he heard nothing.

Ruby's hands lurched towards his, and he flinched when she squeezed them.

"Did your family... do bad things?" She asked. "I mean, if your family did anything really bad to you-"

Jaune shook his head. "Of course not, they're good people." He said. "They just wanted a son for so long, that's all." He glanced at the ports within the silence. And soon enough, he was dusting his clothes. "I wanted to be a Huntsman because it was the only job that fit; something about it just seemed to be... free. But, it's a lie, Rubes. You spend your entire life working as a huntsman, killing god-knows-how many Grimm, and then you just die. It just wasn't for me, you know? It just felt like... being lied again and again; like the job was entirely different than what others suggested."

"It's hopeless, really."

Jaune peered at Ruby out of the corner of his eye, forgetting about his aversion to having his identity revealed. "I can't understand why someone could be so hopeful, care for so many people, and not even doubt themselves for a single moment. I just can't. How can you be so hopeful?"

She was silent for a long minute, staring outside and looking away. Nonetheless, she seemed to be getting used to his questioning —or maybe he was just calming down. He definitely needed to think about his actions rather than just making things up on the fly.

"You're wrong," She said. "I'm not hopeful; after you went missing, I started to look at myself as a person and stopped thinking about the whole bee's knees thing. After you confronted me on the SDC facility and kidnapped Yang and Neptune, I started to think about what I was doing..." She sighed, "-And I realised I was wrong to be so reckless, so childish, so stupid..." She admitted.

"So, why do you still bother to help others? To make sure that the people around you are okay?"

"People aren't tools," She said. "They're more than that, a lot more than things to be used." Her eyes darted, like as if she was thinking about someone else.

He hummed, wondering how to answer that, and silence lingered until Ruby released a quiet breath. He was about to continue the conversation, but Ruby stopped him with a soft pat on the shoulder. His eyes turned towards her face, giving a questioning frown as he did so.

She sighed. "I just wanted to be a great huntress, just like my mother, Summer. When you went missing, I convinced myself to try and care for every person around me because my mother would've done the same. She would've wanted me to find you, to stop Torchwick, and be a great huntress rather than a small and helpless kid who couldn't do anything to help her Uncle Qrow or her dad, or Yang."

She darted her eyes and bored them into his. "And when _you_ took Yang away from me?" She said bitterly, "I couldn't stop training, I couldn't stop thinking about Yang, and I couldn't stop wanting to beat you on our own terms. It would've proved to me that I was no longer the helpless child who watched her mother leave the house for the last time."

Jaune raised his scroll, tapping Juniper's number.

 _"Jaune, is that you? Holy fuck, what the hell happened?"_

 _"Ruby happened. Sneak Yang and Neptune back to Beacon and get back, ASAP."_

 _"What about you-?"_

 _"I'll be fine."_

 _"But, Jaune-!"_

 _"I'll be okay, Jun. I just... need to think about a few things, okay?"_

 _"I'm a little upset, that's all."_

He ended the call.

"I want you to know that I am sorry for what I've done," He stood up, dusting his clothes and grabbing his mask. "-But I want you to know that I can't stop being the Rat; there is too much at stake." His blue eyes bored into silver ones, but Ruby nodded slowly.

"There's another reason why you're a criminal, am I not wrong?" She questioned, glancing at the mask tightly held in his hands having apparently decided to finally ask. "I didn't want to ask because you're my friend — you have a right to keep things to yourself."

A part of him had hoped that she wouldn't want to know more about him — but to be fair, she had been patient with his answers and admitted her flaws. She's changed. Gone was the girl who would've rushed at the Nevermore in the Emerald Forest, she was replaced by a huntress-in-training who was slowly understanding who she was as a person. Combined with proving to him that she was stronger than before, physically and mentally, he'd realised that _he_ needed to mature as a person. Besides, she would've figured everything out, eventually.

"Being a criminal, as ludicrous as this'll sound, it makes you free to do what you want." He admitted, smirking at the look she gave him. "Don't look at me like that; you did ask. I never liked rules and being pressured by others, anyways."

He stood up and put the mask back on his face, dusting his clothes again. "So, I suppose I'll see you again?"

Ruby nodded. "I don't see why not, Jaune. We're still friends, you know." She stared at him, "Well, if you still think of us as friends-!"

Jaune laughed. "You _really_ are an idiot, aren't you?" She looked away — pausing when Jaune pat her head. "I don't know. Don't expect me to hold back when we fight, okay?" He finished, looking down at the buildings below.

"I'll see you later."

 ** _[Fought Ruby Rose! Committed Shop Robberies! Fled From Police Officers!]_**

 ** _[23,000 EXP!]_**

 ** _[2 Level Ups!]_**

 ** _[LVL: 34 - LVL: 36]_**

 ** _[From pushing yourself to your limit, you have earned stat boosts!]_**

 ** _[+3 STR, + 4 VIT, + 3 DEX, + 4 AG, + 2 PER, + 2 INT, + 1 WIS!]_**

* * *

What must've felt like days running back to his warehouse was only a few minutes. By the time he'd slumped in, he could barely stand. With a last push, he fell on the soft sofa. He rubbed his eyes; and, after a few moments, he lurched to grab at a few pictures. Two sets of pictures, in fact, of a family that was _so_ familiar, that it felt like he wasn't good enough to do the right thing. To do what he thought was necessary. It wasn't because he was missing them — he'd never forget them — he just felt... he didn't know what he was feeling.

Have you ever felt confused by something — something so complex that you couldn't even come close to understanding it? You feel more frustrated as you struggle to find answers to the problem and you just want to stop holding your feelings back? The thing is, he did understand where he went wrong with Ruby, but he just didn't know _what_ he was feeling. Why was he so confused? Why wasn't he getting what was going on around him? Why now?

And maybe, just maybe, he was frustrated with himself. Just what the hell was he doing? He needed to become a better person: he wasn't strong; he wasn't fast; he wasn't even skilled enough to protect Juniper or anyone else he cared about. The _only_ reason he became so competent was because of the Game; he didn't earn the right to be as good as he was. Even then, he felt like he wasn't good enough. This wasn't because he wanted to be the best he could be for his own survival; it was because he didn't want to lose someone ever again.

Ever.

So, Jaune walked into his bedroom, sat down onto the bed and gazed at a silver revolver. Tukson was now cleaner than before; gone were the red splotches that reminded him of what he'd done, those splotches were replaced by a brilliantly shining white. He didn't know what to feel about the weapon — the only reason he even used the damn thing was because of Tukson.

With a glance at the screen, he grabbed his pistol and looked at the room in the back.

If he was going to become the person he wanted to be; he may as well start with the basics.

After a few steps, there was the sound of a door closing, combined with metallic screeches and sparks.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

 ** _Dead randy walking:_ **Thank you!

 ** _TheSetupMage:_** It grants 99 on style, 70 on wit, but has a 100% weakness to stomach acid.

 ** _Scribble novice:_** Homage.

 ** _ARSLOTHES:_** Thanks!

 ** _Metal Vile:_** When the MC uses Gamer's Mind for a minute, a point is added on. It then takes a designated amount of time to take that point off; this is done to stop the MC from spamming Gamer's Mind. If I had a max of 10 points for Gamer's Mind, but I earned one point per minute, that means I'd have only 10 minutes to use it rather than an unlimited amount of time.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 36_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _MP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _SP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _EXP: 625/21,005_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 7/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 29/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 19/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 46 [54]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 45 [53]_**

 ** _Vitality: 44 [48]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 35 [40]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 34 [39]_**

 ** _Perception: 45 [47]_**

 ** _Agility: 50 [50]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	21. 21 - Verity

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"The cycle runs, it moves, and I keep moving forward and back -_**

 ** _'till I stop running and look at what I've done -_**

 ** _and then I snap."_**

* * *

 _"It's quite a rainy day, isn't it?" Juniper asked._

 _Jaune sighed. "It is. Reason why I like rain is because it allows me to think." He finished with a frown._

 _With a cocked eyebrow, Juniper spoke. "Are you... okay?"_

 _Jaune shook his head, and he spoke with a quiet voice._

 _"Please. Don't..."_

 _Juniper looked confused. "Don't what?"_

 _Jaune's eyes bored into Juniper's blue ones._

 _"Don't leave me."_

 _Juniper hugged him._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

"You've _really_ fucked up, you know that?"

He hadn't even sat down properly before Juniper started in on him. "It was pretty inevitable," He admitted. "I'm just lucky that nobody important heard about it..."

"You know what'll happen if you lose control of yourself again, right? You were lucky this time," She deadpanned. She gestured towards the building ahead. ""Well, come on. Let's deal with the situation and figure things out afterwards."

Following her down to the rooftops, Jaune jumped down to face the iron door at the new location and as she took up a position on the wall to the side of the door, out of sight from him or anyone else. The door opened with a whine; and, he caught a glimpse of a series of computer screens in the dark interior beyond the door, back-lit by a familiar glow before the screens flickered and the door behind them slowly shut itself. Juniper locked the door, and they both heard a clack afterwards. "So, what did you want to talk about?" He questioned, looking over Juniper's shoulders to gaze at the screens in some sort of bizarre curiosity.

He was interrupted when Juniper turned; shooting a look at him with a damning frown.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Juniper asked and Jaune stiffened, giving Juniper a frown before realising lying wasn't going to work. The older woman sighed and held out a cup of hot chocolate, already holding one cup in her hands. "What sort of idea made you decide to abandon everyone who loved you — people who stuck with you no matter what — and just abandon your dreams like they were nothing?"

"It wasn't like I wanted to give it all up," He sighed aloud, giving the chocolate in his cup a soft sip and placing it down onto a table with a quiet clack. "Torchwick made me do it; I didn't have any other options..." Jaune admitted, before his frown became apparent at Juniper's tightening fists.

"You're telling me," She _**hissed,**_ "That Torchwick forced you to become a criminal?" Jaune looked away.

"Can we talk about this later?" He spoke quietly, finishing with a soft breath. "I think we need to visit Cinder; she called us earlier. Anyways, the rest of the prototypes I've made are in the back of the warehouse. Taking them over here won't be easy; so, I think you should be the one to do it." Jaune finished.

"And what about you?" She asked, before blinking. "Oh, right. Cinder?" Jaune's eyes darted towards hers, turning away afterwards.

By the time they had stopped speaking, they were already done with their cups. Empty, hollow cups that were now hanging near the rest of the dishes; regardless, Jaune turned to the door and unlocked it. Juniper stayed quiet, giving him a slow nod and, together, they adorned their masks.

We arrived at Cinder's current base of operations a few minutes later and he found himself still marvelling over how he was going to deal with his arsenal—one day, it would be possibly, somehow. "I'll enter alone," He stated, and Juniper gave a quiet comment.

"Don't let them get to you and when you're done, leave politely," she answered with a developing frown.

Nodding, Jaune descended down to the floor, walking down to the door. He gave three knocks — and before he knew it — Cinder was already there with a smug, infuriating smile. "Hello, Rat," She gave a small grin at the lack of response from Jaune. "Come on," She motioned for him to come in, "Why don't you come in? I'm sure we'll have a _lot_ to talk about."

 _'Please don't freak out, don't freak out,'_ He thought to himself as his hands fell back into his pockets. "Well," He glanced at Cinder, "My partner and I have a few obligations to deal with, perhaps, we could talk about the situation later..." There, that would be a polite enough way of stating he didn't want to talk with _her_ , and hopefully that'd stop her.

A smug smile transformed into a smug smirk as her eyes tracked his, not even bothering to lock on the shadowed form of Juniper above. "I'm certain this will be an essential discussion, I'd just like a chance to talk. Perhaps alone?"

He could practically feel those familiar feelings of panic build up in his chest, but he shrugged them off with a subtle hasty breath. A breath that Cinder did catch, prompting her to raise an eyebrow. "I don't mean _those_ kind of discussions; I'm certain this one will be more important than that." Jaune rolled his eyes; he could sense the laser-like gaze that Juniper drew at them. He turned, and signalled with a few signs that she should start running back to his warehouse. She nodded, and her shadow was no longer there.

With a slow, brief pause, Jaune walked ahead and heard the door shut behind him with a soft click. Ahead of him, he found what looked like a carbon-copy of the warehouse that they used to operate in. He'd found himself in what passed as some sort of combined living room and study. There were couches and chairs, tables, and machinery everywhere. On a wall at the side of the room was some sort of board with a map of Vale, along with different maps of each of the major cities, several pins of different colours stuck in them along with printed photographs of Beacon's students. Noticing a grey pin on himself and red pins on Team NPR/Team RWBY made him look away, turning to gaze at a large table stood a few feet from the cork board.

None of it really gave him any conclusions though, at least not in a form that allowed him to make sense of it at a glance. Well, there was the confirmation that Cinder was already starting to get things going. Had she already implemented the virus into the CCT? Clearly, it was something that he needed to ask Juniper, considering she infiltrated the academy. How she did that was something he didn't know.

"Considering our previous conversations, I would say you appreciate a direct approach as opposed to patiently weaving through them. So, tell me," Cinder's voice drew his attention to where she was coming out of another door with two books. Handing him one, she sat down in the chair across the table from him and asked, "Why do you fight?"

"Pardon?" He asked, giving a small glance at the book in front of him but making no move to read—that'd keep his attention off Cinder, and that wasn't a good idea.

Glancing between the book and his mask, she cocked an eyebrow, explaining, "I had asked you before, but that was under... non-optimal circumstances," She gave him a look. "People tend to lie when they panic; you're not subtle when you lose it."

He tapped his feet, thinking it over. She was looking for signs, but he had no idea of what she was looking for. Still, he couldn't be reckless, not anymore. He couldn't make any references to his true identity, semblance, not to mention anything that'd give him limelight in the long run... "Money and freedom, for the most part. Money, freedom, experience, things that'd keep me away from not having a purpose. Why do you ask?"

Cinder spun her spoon in the sizzling cup, looking at him with subtle interest.

"Considering your skills, you could be so much more than a henchman." Pausing to sip her own tea, she continued with a gaze, "Your rapid development as a combatant had astounded Torchwick — and even Neo — considering you never fought with a dagger and a revolver before. You're oddly attached to that revolver, though."

He blinked, his face developed a small frown under his black mask. With caution, he asked, "What do you mean, 'rapid development?'"

Cinder sipped from her cup of tea, putting down with a gentle movement. "You didn't think I wouldn't notice, did you? For a boy who was almost killed in an incident that was the root of your amnesia, your combat development is astounding. It's unheard of." Cinder gave a playful smirk when Jaune stiffened.

Frozen, he asked, "You knew who I was this entire time? Was that why you partnered me with _her_? Hell, was that why you were so interested in the first place?"

The red-clad witch chuckled. "I'll admit, you were the last person I expected to be the Rat but you were the only person who fit the criteria. You were hesitant in your fights with Team RWBY, Beacon's records showed that you were absent at times when the Rat would commit crimes, and the way you reacted to _her_? It was undeniable."

"Which brings me to my question..." Casually, she sipped the cup of tea again. "Why did you choose to be a criminal over being a huntsman? Even when the opportunity was given to you on a silver plate?" Cinder lurched forward a bit, gazing with amber eyes.

Jaune sighed. "My reasons are partially for others and for myself, really. I left because I realised that the job of a huntsman was to be fucked by people who sent you on suicide missions — and the reason they use to justify it? They claim that, in death, you're protecting others. I think that's a lie; for, one huntsman cannot change the lives of the many. And considering the fact that I felt I was going to keep my team in harm's way, thanks to being a criminal, I wasn't hesitant to disappear if it meant my team could be safe on their missions. It goes into a lot more than that, but..." He turned away.

"-It's a rough subject?" She asked, and she received a nod. "I didn't expect you to divulge anymore than that. To be frank, I think another reason why you left was because you felt like you weren't strong enough to protect your loved ones. But, that's not my business." Jaune, again, stiffened. Why did Cinder still surprise him after all of this time? Was he that bad at hiding himself?

"Just..." He paused, "I don't get why you didn't order Emerald or Mercury to kill me. Not killing my partner? A logical decision; but why do you intend to keep me around?" Cinder gave her spoon a soft twirl, thinking in her head about how to phrase her answer, before looking up from her cup.

"You put yourself down." She waved nonchalantly, "I think I already explained this; you managed to infiltrate a SDC _facility._ You worked with the White Fang, you worked with Torchwick and Neo, you even fought various hunters-in-training and kept getting away every time. Frankly? This isn't impressive for an experienced criminal, but for a civilian who developed amnesia a few months ago? Mr. Arc, if anything, you have potential. Potential that could be brought out if you decide to continue working with me."

Jaune didn't bother to look at the screen that popped up with a chime. His mind was _blown._ How could he even process this whole situation and — so easily — think of an appropriate answer? Here was Cinder, gazing at him on the opposite side of the table, waiting for him to give her an answer that could either develop into something different or potentially cause Juniper's death. He didn't care as much about dying; he had already died once, but Juniper? She'd never come back — but, he would. He would always remember this day as the day when he fucked up; and, he didn't want that. He didn't want to lose another person; he didn't want to lose his _family._

Just because he died once and came back, doesn't mean others will come back too.

But he knew he was burying himself further and further into a grave. How in the ever-living fuck was he going to explain himself to Pyrrha, who thought he was her friend? What about Ruby? Ruby wasn't giving up on him — it looked like she never would. What if he was forced to try to do something so diabolical that it ruined everything? What about Ren, Nora, Qrow, Raven, what about _Ozpin?_ If Cinder was _this_ dangerous without being driven to insanity by power, was Ozpin just as dangerous if not, more so?

If he had to do this to make sure countless lives were saved, he'd do it. He'd do it not only for himself, but for the people around him.

He'd make sure Remnant would never fall to the Grimm for as long as he lived.

Jaune darted his eyes back at Cinder, who smirked, knowing what he was going to say. "I'll work for you." He finished quietly, his voice a mere whisper in the sound-engulfing room.

She nodded. "Very well. I'll give you the details for your mission soon. Emerald, could you help Mr. Arc familiarise himself with the layout?"

Emerald was a girl with green, almost grass-covered, hair and red eyes walked in from the opposite room, putting her arm on the door and he'd realised he'd been set up—Emerald must've been there for the situation where he hadn't intrigued Cinder. Despite the feeling of his belly crushing in on itself, he stayed still, refusing to let his old feelings take control of him.

By then, he'd stood up, putting his own cup by the sink. He'd already started focusing on washing and drying the dishes — and he didn't notice Emerald give a questioning look at Cinder. Cinder cocked a perfect eyebrow, before giving her cup another sip. By the time he was done, Jaune noticed Emerald and Cinder were staring at him, Cinder was expecting him to say something and Emerald mumbled about having 'another idiot in the group.'

"Oh. Sorry about that," He gave an awkward chuckle. "Anyways, should we start with the tour?"

Emerald's sigh was heard through the room, but she became silent thanks to Cinder's glance. "Follow me." She spoke with a frown, and Jaune walked ahead once Cinder gave him a look. Their soft steps were the only things Jaune could hear; but, it probably wasn't the same for the greenette. People experienced the same area in a different way, and he supposed that this was true for the two of them. At the end of the day, to his reluctance, they were both people. Even Cinder was a person with likes, dislikes, fears and dreams.

Ruby had opened his eyes a little, hadn't she? Her kindness, her _infuriating_ kindness tore at him, it kept reminding him that he should've been a better person. He didn't understand _why_ she thought he was worth it. He tried to hurt her and her friends so many times—it kept him wondering how a person like her could want to help him. The world was a harsh place, it tore so many people apart and he'd seen so much in his previous life. He'd screamed his heart out, just lost himself to the stress, but in the end she just wanted to help.

Why, Ruby? Why would you want to help the person who kept trying to hurt you?

He just... didn't understand. The world was a place with a sea of black and white, and submerged underneath were mixtures of grey. How could a person like her just rise up and never fucking stop? He had the power of the _Gamer;_ he achieved something that nobody had ever done before. He came back from _death_. And even after achieving something of that magnitude, he wasn't happy. Why was she so happy with the world, a world where the strong lived and the weak died, no matter how old they were? Mothers, fathers, _children..._

He closed his eyes.

The time it took to observe each room seemed longer than before—it must've been because of his thoughts. Emerald kept her silence, not even bothering to spare him a glance, but he couldn't blame her. Emerald wasn't exactly the most trusting of people; and, she was admittedly the most sympathetic person in Cinder's cohort. She was a girl who didn't trust anyone but Cinder and Mercury, the former being the definition of what he despised and the latter? Mercury was an unknown; and a person like him could become more than just a person. Mercury was the type of person who, in the right circumstances, could become worse than even Cinder.

Were Mercury/Emerald and he so different? Because, for the first time in this life, he was doubting himself. He had been so _obsessed_ with saving Vale from Cinder that he didn't even notice himself _genuinely_ becoming worse until he was forced to kill Tukson. It was something he paid the price for—wasn't he dealing with the consequences of his own actions now?

"Here we are." Emerald spoke, prompting Jaune to blink. "Well? We don't have all day."

With a small nod, he spoke. "Thanks for the help..."

She shook her head. "Don't worry about it; it doesn't matter in the long run."

Ahead of him, he found what looked like a gargantuan rooftop with a black floor, decorated with markings. They were markings of flames, sparked with a blazing orange that refused to leave the sight of any glance. They were complimented by a sunset that took his breath away because of how _breath-taking_ it was. It was entrancing; it made him appreciate the area for so long that he just stood there in awe. Although there were vivacious flowers that seemed to remind him of Neo, it seemed that the silence and the entrancing view were what made him forget about his problems. But, just like any dream, he stopped forgetting about those problems.

Jaune turned to face Emerald, cocking an eyebrow in his mask. "Nice weather, isn't it? It's quite peaceful." He observed, and Emerald didn't respond at first. She stood for a few moments, and gave a sigh.

"It does look nice." She observed. He was surprised at the lack of snark coming from her, considering the fact she was enthusiastic when it came to being snarky. Was it because she was tired? Her eyes did look bloodshot, and the black bags underneath her eyes gave an obvious clue.

"Sorry about the attitude, I'm a bit... tired." Jaune lifted the mask off his head, and Emerald didn't even bat an eye. If anything, she gave him a short nod. Cinder must've informed her about it, perhaps Mercury too, but he was uncertain about Roman and Neo. Who knew what they genuinely thought about him?

"I never imagined you'd be the Rat; it's ironic how an Arc gave up being a huntsman." Emerald finished her comment, standing near the rails to gaze at the luxurious sunset.

"Life never goes the way you want it to," He said with a morose smile. "In a world like Remnant, that'd be the last thing to happen..."

"True." She acknowledged his comment. "Do you ever think about what could've happened? What it'd be like to get what you want all the time?"

Normally, Jaune would've been surprised that Emerald was asking questions like these. But, she was there when he was ordered to kill a man. And knowing that a guy like Jaune Arc, of all people, was forced to murder a man in cold blood was something that even Emerald seemed to not appreciate. She wasn't pitying him, definitely not, but she must've been trying to stop herself from being too snarky to keep the situation from becoming disastrous. Regarding what he wanted, though? He supposed that a world where he didn't earn what he wanted was something that he just didn't like; he always appreciated challenges. Wasn't that why he chose the hardest mode possible?

"I'll admit to thinking about it many times, but I know that dreaming over things that'll never happen just isn't worth it. What about you?" He finished with a soft tap from his shoes.

Emerald shot him a glance. "Sometimes, I wish that was the case. I always end up wondering if there could be a world without the Grimm..." Her red eyes darted back to his blue ones.

With a chuckle, Emerald heard his voice. "I'm sure that a world where there were no Grimm would still end up with a history of war, genocide, cruelty... it goes on. People are selfish—they always want things to be theirs and when they need something they don't have? They'll do anything to get it. Think of the Faunus Revolution; it's been eighty years but-"

"-But the Faunus are still treated unequally." She finished, crossing her arms. "Humans are still angry at the Faunus, and that caused the White Fang to pop up."

Jaune nodded. "Exactly. But, I suppose you wanted to talk to me about my intentions?" He asked; he wasn't surprised when Emerald didn't deny it.

"As much as I don't want to believe you'll stay loyal to Cinder's cause, I know you're not some scumbag. I know you weren't lying to Cinder; you _do_ want to work with her."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "How do you know if I'll stay loyal, Emerald?" He said bluntly, his blue eyes boring into Emerald's red ones. "I could be working with her because I'm afraid of her power, I could be working with her because we just happen to have the same goals, or any other reasons. How do you know if I'll stay with her?"

Emerald shrugged. "Nobody ever knows if someone's going to betray them or help them. As you said, people will do anything to get what they want. Which is why I want to warn you..." Her face turned into a glare.

"You don't need to warn me." Jaune spoke softly. "I'm not going to turn back; and, I don't have a reason to do so." Emerald was about to retort, but the two were interrupted by the sound of clacking heels, the familiar click of dust crystals tapping against Cinder's ankle.

"Mr. Arc, I believe you'll need to contact Ms. Arc and head for a new mission." Jaune nodded—he lifted his scroll and already texted Juniper to come down to Cinder's building. It only felt like a few minutes, but he could already see Juniper's mask from the rooftops opposite to the building itself. After a few moments, Juniper walked into the door below, closing it with a soft pull.

Soon after that, Juniper arrived, immediately dropping her mask when she noticed Jaune's face. There were tired faces, bloodshot eyes, but all three were still determined. It wouldn't be long until they could have their deserved sleep; but, there was just one last thing to do today.

"Emerald, you're dismissed." Emerald nodded and walked away slowly. With a perfect frown, Cinder spoke. "Before you two start to prepare for your first mission, I want to make something clear." Cinder's arm raised, keeping a calm face even when roaring flames were unleashed from her arm.

"I expect you two to be loyal, competent, and capable of never letting yourself give up the assignments. If you two decide to become useless and treacherous," The flames on her hand made the previous blast look like a mere ember. "I will not hesitate to deal with you two. Is that understood?"

Together, the two nodded.

"Very well. On the evening of the Beacon Dance, I want you two to infiltrate Beacon Academy and upload a virus onto the CCT. Normally, I'd do this myself, but I want minimum risks for my plans in Vale."

 ** _[Quest: Of Rats & Beacons]_**

 ** _[Infiltrate Beacon Academy and upload a virus onto the CCT!]_**

 ** _[REWARDS: 50,000 EXP. Cinder Fall's trust will slightly increase. Increase closeness with Cinder Fall, Juniper Arc, and Emerald Sustrai. Emerald Sustrai's trust will slightly increase. "Rats & Men Aren't So Different" title unlocked.]_**

 ** _[Failure: Imprisonment, possible death.]_**

With a thought, Jaune accepted the quest.

Cinder's smirk couldn't have been any wider.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

 ** _Joe:_** I think the idea of faking a split personality could be interesting; I think there's a few holes in the idea, though. If Jaune did have a split personality, why did that factor manifest after he left Beacon? If Jaune did have split personalities, why isn't that accounted for in his medical records? Why would his family send him to an academy for _Huntsman_ and _Huntresses_ if he had split personalities? It's an interesting idea, sure, but I think there's a few problems with pulling that off.

But, yes, he does have a few covers for the situation.

 ** _GamehunterMC:_** That was a writing mistake, sorry about that. I've looked in the document and managed to fix the issue. Thanks for pointing the issue out!

 ** _hughfj08:_** Ah, shit. I didn't mean to do that; give me until tomorrow to have it fixed. Sorry about the inconvenience!

 ** _Plasma Dragon 312:_** This is the same person who punches the owner of a club (for being a bit too much), beats up pretty much every single person in there, forces the civilians to flee whilst screaming and it was all because she wanted to find out about her mother. If Yang found someone who not only knew who Raven Branwen was, but also knew where she was and _refuses_ to tell her, how do you think she'd feel? I mean, she was trying to find her mother since her childhood. Combine this situation with Junior who, alone, makes her punch him, eventually leading to the bar being destroyed and you got a pissed off Yang. Jaune didn't even want to tell her anything about Raven, too.

 ** _Guest:_** The guest above you pretty much says what I was going to say, but I'll keep it brief. The guy just died, lost his entire family, failed to achieve his dreams and woke up in a fictional universe as the Gamer. He becomes adamant on not letting the Game mess with him, prompting him to think that INT/WIS could cause him to have his mind messed up. I can't see why someone could just go through all of that and stay calm.

* * *

 ** _~ Stats ~_**

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 36_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _MP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _SP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _EXP: 625/21,005_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 7/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 29/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 19/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 46 [54]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 45 [53]_**

 ** _Vitality: 44 [48]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 35 [40]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 34 [39]_**

 ** _Perception: 45 [47]_**

 ** _Agility: 50 [50]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	22. 22 - Life Of Crime

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_ :** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"The cycle runs, it moves, and I keep moving forward and back -_**

 ** _'till I stop running and look at what I've done -_**

 ** _and then I snap."_**

* * *

 _"How did Torchwick force you to become a criminal?"_ _Juniper stood with a stare._

 _Jaune paused in a thoughtful silence._

 _Jaune sighed. "I illegally sold him dust for some lien, so that I could get the warehouse from before..."_

 _He closed his eyes._

 _Juniper shook her head, "And let me guess, he gave you a job as a postman for Cinder? Why would he do that?"_

 _Jaune looked away. "I believe he did it because he needed an asset to help him rob the shops faster, you know, for dust..." His voice trailed._

 _Juniper threw her hands into the air and looked older than she was. "Look, kid, let's just... figure ourselves out first. Okay? We can deal with this situation, hopefully get out of alive, and then figure out how we're going to deal with the aftermath."_

 _Jaune nodded._

 _"Right. Let's just hope it isn't too late for us."_

 _Juniper's frown became morose._

 _"Yeah. Let's hope."_

. . .

. .

.

When he finally got back home, the place was empty even though it was getting dark. Juniper had left a note on the counter, saying she'd be out late tonight, most likely because she was going out to Junior's bar. For the thousandth time; and, it wouldn't surprise him if she did go out again.

Alcohol and dancing helped you forget a special kind of occasions; the kind of occasions you'd never want to remember.

He had some food and turned on the news. It was about the chaos he'd been apart of three days ago, though, so he just flicked the sofa and just... sat in the silence of his hollow house, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. He just sat there, watching Lavender give her report.

It was...strange, now that he thought about it. All that chaos and rushing to try and get EXP—at the expense of his former friends and those who got in his way— and then...it was over. Things were calm, silent, and... that was it. After he'd gotten what he'd needed from the quests, dealing with the aftermath had been simple. He fled from the scene, dropped a few smoke bombs, and just got back from a casual night-out with Juniper. Gone was the adrenaline he became accustomed to when he drove over a bridge in mid-air just to save a child's life; if anything, it was like he never felt it in the first place.

And then he stood there, mulling over things. He'd accomplised everything he'd set out to do—and so much more he hadn't— so he made his way to the Port and then went home.

Now, he was just marvelling at the experiences he'd had, letting it really sink in. It was almost, almost, ironic how everything happened. And it all just crashed down on him—and it just crushed him completely— which made him think.

Where did it all go wrong?

He'd turned from a man who wanted to be a huntsman to... this. He committed crimes, he ruined lives, he killed a person, and Cinder was _interested_ because of those things. It disgusted him, it made him feel sick, and every fucking day her _fucking infuriating smirk reminded him of this over and over again-_

Breathe in, and breathe out.

His grip on the sofa's arm became less tight.

It was her fault for dragging him into this... no. He was wrong. Cinder may be a megalomaniac who had absolutely no idea what the word, 'humanity', meant, but why should he completely blame her for his actions? He _chose_ to be a criminal, he _thought_ it was a better idea to work with Cinder than be a huntsman, and he _chose_ to be this way. And who else was there to blame? Torchwick? Mercury? Emerald? Neo? The first had a few faults; but, he didn't see anything that suggested they were to blame for what happened.

Though, Torchwick might be up for a conversation about the subject in the future.

And now he was just thinking about the same things he'd plan to do this morning. Keep training, keep working, keep getting stronger, keep getting smarter. Up until now, the thing that had been holding him back the most was himself. He could only train for so long before his body became exhausted, and though he could recover in around forty minutes, it still took a long time. That wasn't enough. Not even close to being enough for his standards. After RWBY, Ruby, Cinder, and learning that he _and_ Juniper's identities were known, he knew it was time to stop obsessing over what could've been.

 _They're_ gone, so was his old life, and even with the Gamer he didn't think he'd ever see his relatives again. Considering what he'd done, though? Maybe, it was better off that he didn't see them again.

They deserved someone better.

Well, it didn't matter now. With Gamer's Body and Gamer's Mind, he became trapped in another world. A world filled with monsters and people that'd remind him of eldritch abominations, horrible scum, and manipulative bitches who kept smirking.

He frowned down at the carpet and organised his thoughts.

Jaune was interrupted by Juniper, who sat down besides him. With black bags under their eyes, pale skin, and an exhaustion that kept trying to get them to sleep, the two just sat together and snuggled. The two stared at the TV; and with Juniper's head on Jaune's shoulder, the two didn't move at all.

Jaune shot Juniper a glance as soon as she turned to look at him, and his passive deadpan turned into a concerned gaze, "Are you okay? You look shattered." Juniper nodded, and Jaune didn't need to ask anymore questions.

"You look shattered too, you hypocrite," Juniper stated, starting to arch her back with her legs propped up on the table in front of them, "Has work been a little stressful? I know Cinder's a bit of a bitch, but I know she's been a little over-the-top. The stuck-up prick." Jaune chuckled, giving her a thumbs up and sounding amused when he responded, "I suppose. Maybe she has a stick up her ass or something?"

"And you don't have a stick up your ass at times?" Juniper asked, tiredly grinning when Jaune shook his head side-to-side in a 'that definitely isn't me' kind of way, and she continued, "You have been... stressed." And at that moment, Jaune seemed to give a shrug with no verbal response.

"Jun, I'm too tired to move. I'll need to sleep on the sofa."

"Same. I feel like someone just threw me off a cliff."

"That's because you went to Junior's bar, of all places."

"Don't be an ass, kid."

"I already have an ass."

Juniper rolled her eyes, chuckling, "Just get some sleep, okay? We both need it."

Jaune sighed, "Right."

And what could've changed the situation? Both of them wanted to sleep; for, they wanted to forget about their lifestyles. Of course, a few hours of sleep was something the duo treasured. When people experience situations that stress them out; or, make them snap, they'll always wish for a few hours of peace. Things that seem to be worth so little become something more; and, that's because they develop an appreciation for the opportunities they have. Jaune couldn't help but imagine being in Juniper's situation — it filled him with guilt — but it wouldn't stop him. It wouldn't stop the two of them.

With a soft tap, Jaune placed a few blankets and pillows on the sofa for the two of them.

"Good night, Jun."

"Good night, kiddo."

For the first time since he came to Beacon, Jaune felt peace.

* * *

It had only been a few minutes since he'd arrived at Cinder's building.

There were a series of knocks; and with a few seconds of consideration, Jaune twisted the doorknob.

Roman stormed through the door as soon as Jaune opened it, with Neo right behind him, and he turned to look at the taller man with a frown, "What's going on? Did those kids interrupt a robbery or something?" He gave Neo a glance, and she shook her head and shrugged. It didn't give a clear show for what was going on.

"What were you thinking?" Roman asked, turning to look at him and plopping into a chair with his leg propped up on the table, "Cinder says she got a report to a team of Huntresses cooperating with Ozpin, and she's clearly reacting to it. So, it got through. Now, Cinder's fucking grinning like it's Christmas!" He waved his arms and sounded exasperated when he spoke again, "Yes, I do know who you are. Don't start thinking that I don't. Oh, and can you take your mask off? Thanks." Neo dropped a cigar and a lighter in Roman's hand, watching him light the cigar up.

"And you're not mad over who I am?" Jaune asked, Roman nodding his head side-to-side in a 'yeah sure, may as well deal with it' kind of way, and Jaune continued, "Then we have to know more about what's going on in Beacon. Ozpin likes to use people for his own plans; he must've started figuring out the situation when we fought RWBY on the rooftops. He wouldn't use Team RWBY all the time-"

"-Unless he knows who you are, maybe?" Roman offered, crossing his arms and nodding for a few seconds while Jaune sensed his stress fade, "You can't seriously think that RWBY _wouldn't_ suggest you were the Rat to Ozpin. Ozpin is a damning fuck who always figures out what's going on; and, those kids don't know how manipulative that guy is. Do you even know if Team RWBY are looking for you, now?"

"I don't know, Roman. But they have to be involved somehow, Ruby wouldn't just... chase me down like that." He shook his head in disbelief, "It doesn't make any sense. She may have been reckless when I was at Beacon, but she's not like that. I know that."

"And you can always tell who a person is from how they act?" Roman asked, raising an eyebrow at him once more. "Before, you were a boy who dreamt of being a huntsmen. You _wanted_ to protect Vale from people like us. And what did you do when you finally got in Beacon? You abandoned your friends to work with criminals, you even tried to _kill_ your friends, and you murdered a man who didn't even want to hurt anyone unlike the genocidal scum in the White Fang. You've never been wrong?"

"I know you're right." Jaune admitted, "It's not like I wanted to do what I did, but I had to do it because the situation called for it. Especially if it means that I have nothing to gain and everything to lose. That's why we're all here, we want to survive what's going to happen. Am I not wrong to go so far just to keep the people I care about alive?"

"Eh, I guess I can't judge." Roman shrugged, closing his eyes and leaning back comfortably, "We're not that much different now that I think of it, makes sense considering that I'd be a hypocrite for calling you on for it. Anyways, what do you think you should do about Beacon then, genius?"

"I do have a few ideas in my head." Jaune sighed, putting his hands in two pockets and standing to gaze at the beautiful city outside. Neo raised an eyebrow at Roman, who lit up his cigar again in return, and spun to sit cross-legged and shot Jaune a glance.

"Cinder said that you needed to be ready to infiltrate Beacon by the evening." Roman said quietly, holding his Scroll up and shaking his head, "Just got a message kid, and it says that Ozpin is preparing to deal with you. Cinder's clearly using you as a tool, so I fucking hope you're smart enough to realise we need to make a deal that'll give us all a higher chance of living through this bullshit."

Jaune sat up, Neo looked at him in concern before twisting around to look at Roman and then back around to type at her Scroll rapidly. Jaune ignored her, looking back at Juniper, who was sitting there silently. "In that case, consider me interested. What do you think, Juniper?"

Juniper stood up, walking towards the others and gazed at Roman's hard face. "I'll all for it. We can give you our word, Roman, and even if we're criminals, an Arc never betrays their word. Never would happen in a million years."

The thief nodded and stood, walking towards them, "Good. Now, getting into Beacon will be annoying. Getting on the ships will be nigh possible; the only way we could get on is with Neo's semblance. But, there's a little problem with that plan. If anyone even touches us or hits us, we'll be revealed and we can't have that risk. However, there is _one_ way we can get through. And that, my fellow criminals, is a secret tunnel situated underneath Beacon..."

Roman was interrupted by a light knock on the door, and Roman looked at him with a questioning look. Jaune's eyebrow cocked in response — but he believed they both knew who was at the door. "It's Cinder." The fact that he knew that by figuring it out went unsaid entirely.

At this point, everyone knew about Cinder's recent interests in Jaune's 'potential.'

Cinder walked into the room with a sway in her step, one that stopped as soon as she stopped walking, of course. It was silent; but, Jaune knew that Cinder would speak up eventually. Who knew what she was going to say now, though? That was the thing about Cinder — you could never predict what she was going to do.

"I see Roman and Neo have expressed their interests in assisting you two. Well, I suppose this is quite the assignment." She shrugged and smiled, settling onto a sofa across from Jaune, "I suppose you'll be ready to depart by the evening?" He nodded, and she sighed, "You really do act like an animal, sometimes."

"That's because humans are animals," He deadpanned. Jaune bit his tongue, but Cinder chuckled at the remark. "Are we finally getting some snark? Ah, well, if it keeps you content and quiet."

With a look from Roman, Juniper and Neo, Jaune spoke, "I thought about the conversation, too, you know." She raised a perfect eyebrow, and he cleared his throat to make sure his voice didn't waver. "Do you have anything else to ascertain at Beacon?"

Cinder looked surprised for a second, but it was replaced by an amused smile. "An interesting question, Mr. Arc. It is good to hear about your enthusiasm; and, I suppose there is one thing I need to know." She crossed her arms smoothly, becoming more business-like in an instant. "Very well, then. I was going to just ask you to sneak into Beacon and upload the virus, but I suppose there is no reason not to let you two aim a little higher."

 _ **[Dungeon Quest: "Breaking the Vault"]**_

 _ **[Cinder Fall, surprised by your enthusiasm, has decided to issue you and the others another objective: not only sneak into Beacon Academy and acquire any information regarding Ozpin's plans to stop her, but inflitrate Vale's Vault too. The vault is inside of the bank that you previously stole money from, so expect guards. You may initiate each attempt in any order you like, but if you go for the bank, you'll be on your own.]**_

 _ **[REWARD(S): 90,000 EXP, increased closeness to Cinder Fall, Neo, Roman Torchwick, and Juniper Arc. Increased loyalty in Neo, Roman Torchwick, and Juniper Arc. Worldwide notoriety, Ozpin starts to stop being passive. Teams NPR will accompany Team RWBY during confrontations/quests.]**_

 ** _[BONUS OBJECTIVE: Gather any evidence that will decrease Team RWBY/NPR's loyalty to Ozpin.]_**

 ** _[WARNING: Completing these tasks will make you one of the most prominent criminals on Remnant. Turning back from this path will be substantially more difficult than before; and, the difficulty will start to increase. A lot.]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 20,000 EXP, Questline continuation.]_**

 ** _[TOTAL EXP: 110,000 EXP.]_**

 _'110,000 EXP? It's like this Game is tempting me, sometimes. Accept,'_ He chuckled.

Well, EXP was EXP. The more EXP he had, the sooner he could do something about his situation.

And that was enough of a reason to do this. If it meant taking _them_ down, he'll do almost anything.

Almost.

Again, there it was. The look of surprise on Cinder's face; for, she must've been wondering if Jaune was either stupid or courageous. Perhaps, both. "Mr. Arc, you'll inflitrate the bank on your own. Distract the police for as long as you can. Meanwhile, Ms. Arc, Torchwick, Neo, you're all with me. Emerald and Mercury will keep an eye on the dance."

* * *

~Part II~ These Games We Play ~Part II~

* * *

Breaking into a bank, to his lack of surprise, was harder than before. With the right information, a few reality checks and some useful intuition you could have a pretty damn difficult bank to break in on your hands. That was the idea, wasn't it? It wasn't too important in the larger picture; but, he couldn't stop doubt from creeping into his mind as he walked out of his house. It was something he'd grown accustomed to — even after everything that had happened — so, it was something he'd have to dealt with.

As much as it was annoying to do so, he had to wear an eye-patch, a different suit, a few bandages and the sort to not be recognised. And despite the sceptic glances, the quiet jabs and the whispers, it was refreshing to go outside and _be_ a typical civilian. And the whole thing had given him some time to breathe, to rationalise his thoughts even if it took a while to get the old feeling of panic pushed down. God, he did need to let off some steam, but it wasn't like using his expertise was stress-relieving.

Entering the air vent covers on the roof wasn't an option; what kind of bank wouldn't have a laser grid inside of its vents? Wasn't that some sort of standard the banks used now thanks to his actions? It was quite... strange, really. To make such an impact to Vale like this, and as for what he was going to do? It wouldn't only be Vale, but the entire world, that would know the Rat. One of the most dangerous criminals to ever live in Vale — though admitting that to himself only gave him some shame — it was strange to not only find being a criminal wasn't as bad, but he was enjoying himself.

And to think that he got this far...

Opening a side door and walking in he took the camera out of his duffle bag before walking down the hall, giving a nod to the security guard. "Stop right there! Call the police-!"

He was cut off as Jaune rammed the revolver that was in his sleeve into the security guard's head, knocking him out with a thud. Dragging and zip-tieing the body back outside by the recycling bins, he took a picture of his face before putting it on top of his security badge and walked back into the bank. A flash of a card at the scanner was answered with a beep, there was only a green light. Grabbing the man's earpiece he put it in the correct way before shoving his hand into his pockets and grabbing some sunglasses. With black leather, gloves, a security uniform and some sunglasses, he was merely a guy guarding the entrance of a bank.

Inventories are ridiculously useful.

He had timed it so that as soon as there was a change in the cameras, he would deal with the guard and waltz in. On the bottom floor of the bank, he had only an hour before the cameraman changed again. The guards didn't change as much thanks to having less to do than the analytic camera watcher. Walking down a few halls in what he hoped whoever was watching the cameras would assume as not suspicious, he heard nothing except his own soft steps nearing the booth with the camera's controls. A creep around the corner, a revolver was flipped, and there was a gaze at a guard.

"Hey, man, you alright?"

"Wait, what-?"

The guy didn't even have a chance to react to Jaune smacking him in the temple with the back of his revolver, knocking him out. After zip-tying the man and even tying his legs and hands with ropes as a precaution, he stared at the cameras. A moment later, with the press of a few switches, they were off. The cameras now off, Jaune pushed the chair behind the man, keeping the body under the desk for longer. Now he had about forty minutes; for, it wouldn't be longer than that until the others returned to the camera room. It'd probably take around ten minutes — twenty in the worst scenario — but either way he was blowing this vault open.

Getting into the bank was easy, however, getting into the vault would be a different kind of challenge.

Like many others, the vault door was pristine. Silver, tighter than fucking Beacon during lock-down, and an absolute annoyance to deal with. Though, this vault door looked like it was armoured to the brim. Hell, he thought even Ozpin would've been impressed at the work the staff must've went through to make the vault. Frankly, he'd admit that it wouldn't be surprising if there were turrets in there.

It was a shame that he had to blow the damn thing up.

The vault was massive, round and the locks were tight in a solid steel frame that must've weighed around three tons. Did he mention how even then the vault door was behind what was a slaughterhouse of invisible grids, razor sharp wires, and thermal-laser scanners? And the fact that it was filled with cameras that seemed to have an infinite electrical supply? Ah, the fantastic situation ahead of him was only an easy example of what was to come in Legendary Mode. Amazing.

After the sound of soft steps, Jaune glanced at the casing of a fire extinguisher. He shook his head; really? Why would the bank have thermal sensors in the opposite room but have a fire extinguisher nearby? What was the chance of setting a fire near the vault that was the main vault for an entire country? Of course, one screwdriver from an inventory, and the screws were turned. He placed the glass cover on the floor, making sure it didn't break.

A few steps ahead by the side of a hallway, he started creeping in the hall after a swift turn, Jaune made his way to a door that was on the blueprints just in front of the hallway heading to the vault. The hallway that had the wires and the thermal sensors. And the amount of cameras in the room was staggering — he was lucky to not be here with his usual mask — because if he was, he'd be fucked. Absolutely fucked.

Well, he would be, if it weren't for the fact that his sub-goal was the opposite of what he'd usually try to do.

In the middle of the hallway on the ceiling was a small black square-like object that was the thermal sensor. Did he mention that there were two others in their own corners? No? That's a shame. There were no guards, but he supposed it was because cameras and humans had one (important and essential) difference: humans were vulnerable to making mistakes. And the cameras had the opposite disadvantage; for, they only figured out the things that they could recognise. A human may hear something that's invisible, but for a camera? A collision doesn't happen if nobody (technically nothing) knows it happened.

Let's see, then. A thermal sensor and thin wires? Well, the thermal sensor was there to check for body heat, and the thin wires seemed to be designed to cut through a person. Of course, this'd would come with a price: the severe lack of durability.

Got it.

After pulling the pin, aiming the nozzle and making sure it wouldn't blow up in his face, the wires were already frosting. What were once fragile but useful wires were now freezing-white ones that were beginning to crack. He was stepping forward (not right into the next set of wires after, that'd be ridiculous), spraying thin wires with the icy cold air and water mixture. He felt the wires shatter against his clothes; and soon enough, he was walking into the radius of the thermal sensor. And with no screaming alarms, he released a sigh of relief.

Making through in a minute, Jaune stared down the gargantuan door. Silver and shiny, it was almost overbearing for his eyes. Regardless, he popped out a coin that was placed in-between the casing of the door locks that seemed to stick out a little.

It had taken a minute or two, but by the time the coin gave a ping for the fifth time, the door was unlocked. Pulling the coin out of the gap, he placed it in his inventory (you never know what people could do with a coin) and pulled the door towards him. But, that wasn't what mattered.

What mattered was the fact that he was gazing at the insides of the vault.

Vale's Vault.

He entered the vault throwing in his duffle bag and then walked in himself to glance at the area around him. Along the walls were a series of what must've been safety deposit boxes, and the sizes ranged from crates to twice the size. Inside on a raised platform in the back of the room was what looked like gargantuan stacks of lien cards that must've been worth _so_ much money. And of course, he was bloody tempted to do it.

Normally, there'd be something to tell him to stop. But, after spending _so_ long in a small warehouse barely getting by? Fuck it; if it meant not having to steal shit from shopkeepers, he'd do it. Even if it was an ironic solution.

After skimming around ten million liens worth of the cards in his duffle bag. And as soon as he finished doing so, he went into the left corner of the room and ascertained a few documents.

Holy fucking shit, these documents...

They were about the Maidens. Ozpin (and the rest of his group)'s plans to dealing with the situation where someone like the "Queen" would try to find the Maiden underneath Beacon Academy. With these documents, the council would be fucked. Ozpin would be fucked — and they couldn't do anything about it. However, there was _no_ way in hell Cinder was getting this.

He didn't even have the time to read the rest of the documents.

After practically throwing his duffle bag and the documents into his inventory, he looked around the scene again to check for any other items of interest. Upon finding none, however, he walked outside. It'd only be a few minutes, now, until his biggest crime went on Vale News.

Now, it was time to head to Beacon.

* * *

Jaune was running for his fucking life.

The feeling of adrenaline was _intense_ ; every step and sound gave it a reason to become stronger. The sounds of helicopters flying in the air looking for the guy who'd soon become a worldwide infamous criminal, the sight of intense lights flashing down onto the streets, and the intensifying breathing was keeping him occupied.

He was interrupted by the sounds of a walkie-talkie.

Roman's voice blared from the walkie-talkie, _"Kid, you there? Are you done with the Vault?"_

Jaune spoke, "I am! I'm heading to a Bullhead that'll fly me to Mount Glenn, it'll take me five minutes to get there!"

A few seconds later, Roman responded, _"Listen, you're going to have to take one of the Bullheads to Mount Glenn. The police are swarming around Vale, and going to Mt. Glenn on foot would be suicide! Any helicopters that try to engage you MUST be shot down, at all costs!"_

With a sigh, Jaune responded, "In that case, I bloody hope I don't encounter a helicopter."

Jaune heard a sigh at the end of the line, before hearing Roman speak, _"Kid, we've had this conversation. You're a criminal. Would the police let you live if they put you on trial? Would they give you the lightest sentence, possible? Because, kiddo, Vale has started to pick up the pace because of our extensive robberies. I'm sure you found that out during your little trip,"_ Roman finished.

His heart started to beat faster when one of the lights were getting closer to him.

"Roman, listen. I might be late for the occasion, okay?" Jaune finished.

 _"-Wait, why? Oh for fuck's sake, is one of the helicopters-?"_

"-Yes."

 _"-In that case, fucking forget your doubts and treat this situation as a worst case scenario. Don't hold anything back. Got it?"_

"Got it." And with that, Roman's voice was gone.

By the time he'd reached the Bullhead, he strapped himself onto the driver's chair with his seat-belt, and heard the engines roar. The Bullhead rose into the raining skies; and for the first time, Jaune felt determined to get this to work. There were a few things that started to not matter: the amount of Bullheads there were; how many helicopters were trailing his tracks; and how many people were watching the chase live.

He was having the time of his life — even with his heart pounding against his chest — so it was going to be an amazing time.

With the sound of a blast, he was heading towards Mt. Glenn.

Monstrous howls and roaring engines filled the skies with sound.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses Will Be Done Soon~_**

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 36_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _MP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _SP: 3600/3600_**

 ** _EXP: 625/21,005_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 7/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 29/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 19/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 46 [54]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 45 [53]_**

 ** _Vitality: 44 [48]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 35 [40]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 34 [39]_**

 ** _Perception: 45 [47]_**

 ** _Agility: 50 [50]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	23. 23 - Raging Storm

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"And maybe; life's a dream, maybe nothing else is real?"_**

 ** _"In that case, if we have no purpose, why do we suffer?"_**

* * *

 _Jaune watched the small boy squirm, round little cheeks paling._

 _The White Fang..._

 _It was hopeless._

 _He was too tiny. Too fragile._

 _His parents smiled._

 _They were too tiny, now. Too fragile._

 _He cried, and they stopped breathing._

 _Jaune held the kid in his arms for what seemed like forever, for the first and last time._

 _Jaune tried to hide his numbness, but he was tired._

 _The child was too tiny._

 _He didn't last long after he begged Jaune to kill him._

 _This time, there were no screams. No tears, no anger, no stress._

 _Numbness._

 _He had grown numb to it all._

 _Jaune stared at the bloody humans who died because of the White Fang._ _Mothers, fathers, children, and it didn't stop there. The White Fang kept trying to kill humans just because they were **humans.**_

 _Vale News refused to report about it because it'd cause mass panic. No policeman or huntsman were there to save them. **Nobody** chose to save them. Ozpin just wants to spoil his 'huntsman', before using them like pawns just like Summer, Raven, Qrow..._

 _Salem just wanted destruction for the sake of it, she just wanted... genocide._

 _Why?_

 _He was in disbelief._

 _He was in despair._

 _He was **numb.**_

 ** _. . ._**

 ** _. ._**

 ** _._**

"It's a bit ironic how I'm being chased by the police _and_ the Grimm." He shook his head, focusing on the red dots blinking on his map, reminding him of the fighting Grimm and huntsmen that followed his trail. "Still takes me back," His voice decreased to a whisper.

There was no one else on the Bullhead, but he was almost expecting Roman to pop up behind him and say a sarcastic comment or two. Maybe, Neo would just walk up to his seat and start typing messages at him with an amused glint in her eyes.

Two hands were tightly wrapped on the controls, and they'd always shake at the sound of a violent bang. Credit where it was due, though; he wasn't panicking like he used to back in the days when pretending to be a criminal was his most worrying factor. Given that the ship was underside down, twirling around to evade blasts of dust shots and bullets, it seemed like it wasn't really the most important thing on this mind.

Piloting was a very different experience from driving, but he thought he was getting the hang of it. At the very least, he was learning new things—for example, it gave him the ability to fight in a three dimensional environment. Sure, on the ground you could jump and such—and there were a lot more angles to a fight on the ground when you applied everything you had to a fight—but it was still a significant difference between the former and the latter. And of course, who couldn't admire the danger it presented? He was feeling absol-fucking-lutely amazing; and he'd never forget that one time when he fought the Son of Storms...

He wasn't sarcastic.

Fighting people and Grimm at the same time in the thunderous skies was something he'd never want to do. Do it with Grimm? Sure, as long as he had backup plans after backup plans, because you never knew what'd happen with the Grimm. But, people? He may have become... used to living the life he was living, but it was still something that'd never cross his mind as something he'd want to do. And why would he? Torchwick may be right in saying that no sane person would give him the same mercy; but, he was _still_ Jaune.

Take right now, for instance, the murder of Nevermore on his proverbial heels as they followed the rising turn of his craft. There was a bit of a story there, but the whole situation can be summarised as: 'I can kill these idiots without any moral consequences.' The dark flock was known for being the remainder of the Nevermore that patrolled the seas, prowling around for some idiots who wanted to fly across the sea.

He smiled fiercely, getting an idea.

Shifting the thrusters on either side of the Bullhead, the Bullhead turned sharply even as the vehicle went from a horizontal to vertical position. With a roll, the nose of the machine pushed low and turned in a steep slice turn, before rising back to a higher altitude to dodge bullets and sharp feathers. It was rather interesting to see bullets penetrate sharp feathers and vice versa, like as if they were covering the space with crumpled feathers and broken bullets.

And then Jaune was closing in on the murder of Nevermore from the side, accelerating even as they gave an unholy song of screeches.

"Aura Blast," He replied, and the light of his aura formed at the nose of the Bullhead as the machine dived into the flock of Nevermore. Relatively fragile bones broke because of the blast of aura, rattling the aircraft with sounds of cracks and screeches. Jaune watched as the Nevermore burst into blue flames, dissipating into floating black ash afterwards.

 ** _[Mastery of the "Aircraft" skill increases! "Aircraft" skill increases by two levels!]_**

 ** _[Mastery of the "Aura Blast" skill increases! "Aura Blast" skill increases by one level!]_**

 ** _[Mastery of the "Dogfighting" skill increases! "Dogfighting" skill increases by two levels!]_**

 ** _[Your level has increased by one!]_**

Jaune chuckled at the sight of broken wings, the corpses and black blood of Nevermore being slid off the Bullhead. The Bullhead was turned, and was pulling up to evade the hailstorm of bullets that he was suddenly receiving. They must've thought that he was dead, but of course, they were surprised. That'd explain why they didn't immediately fire at his craft when he _deliberately charged at a murder of Nevermore._ For a moment, he was spinning from left to right, and then he was upside down. The remnants of the murder were trying to regroup, but considering they were contained by some of the huntsman, it seemed like he was now their target.

 _'Aura Acceleration,'_ He thought, and he watched as his aura engulfed the ship. The Bullhead manoeuvred through thunderous skies, plunged down to avoid a storm of bullets, and lifted himself back up again. He felt a great adrenaline erupt in his chest — and with no hesitance — accelerated so much that the thrusters roared. A blast of aura, combined with Aura Acceleration and the thrusters, charred a few of the remaining Nevermore. And they fell down to the unforgiving earth.

A chuckle turned into laughter; for, Jaune flew through the air swerving around gunfire and sharp feathers. It was _fucking_ amazing. The danger! The excitement! The fact that he was crashing into _Grimm_ and blowing them apart with his own skill! This was one of the greatest moments of his life! Jaune felt a combined mix of adrenaline, excitement, and some worry. Of course, just because he was getting excited doesn't mean he wasn't worried about his survival, he wasn't some idiot.

But, damn, did it feel _good._

"Now, THIS is how you pull off a dogfight!" He stated, and he looked at the camera that was recording the dogfight. "Hey guys, are you seeing this shit? HOLY SHIT-!" Jaune swerved the vehicle up in the air to dodge a charging Griffon that was being followed by a pack of Griffons. Immediately, the Nevermore and Griffons were banding together, and it became a bloody war of gunfire, howls, and sharp feathers. The camera turned to see a Griffon trying to rip the rear of the armour off, and Jaune responded with putting the thrusters at a maximum velocity. The Griffon _melted._

Now, Jaune had five minutes to survive being in the air, he had to be up in the air until the others finish their part of the mission.

However, behind him...

A ferocious blast covered the entire area, forcing the whole world to stop and gaze at the thing that caused it.

 ** _[Mastery of the "Sense Danger" skill increases! "Sense Danger" skill increases by one!]_**

Okay, if the sudden feeling that there was something horrific behind him wasn't enough to set him on edge, abruptly getting a level up in _[Sense Danger]_ hammered the impression home. Without hesitating, Jaune pulled back and flew higher into the turbulent skies to see _what_ was responsible for the powerful blast.

"Well," He noticed the VPD Bullheads surround the new Grimm. "Looks like the situation got worse."

 ** _\- BOSS PROFILE -_**

 ** _[The Giant Of Storms]_**

 ** _[GRIMM TYPE: Giant Griffon]_**

 ** _[Description:_** _The great Griffon has returned, not only stronger, but smarter. It's also here to kick your ass. **]**_

 _ **[HP: 10000/10000]**_

 _ **[MP: 0/0]**_

 _ **[AURA: 0/0]**_

 _ **[LVL: 66]**_

 _ **\- PROFILE -**_

 _'Why does the Game not have a luck stat?'_ Jaune thought, before frowning at the Griffon's strange behaviour. The Griffon seemed... strangely silent. It was like as if it was daring _him_ to attack first, no, it was daring all of the VPD and himself to attack it. How did this Griffon change so much in so little time? Was it because of the transformation it went through as a Grimm? It _was_ a Giant-Class Grimm.

He cracked his neck once and nodded at that in acceptance. After tapping the window a bit in a trance, it seemed everyone was silent. Nobody dared to attack Rat, not when there was a Giant Griffon that could make this scenario a slaughterhouse. And, for once, Jaune wasn't in the role of being the guy who everyone fought against. The VPD were communicating amongst themselves; but, he knew it wouldn't be long until the Griffon would run out of patience and decide to attack them. So, what could he do? Should he charge ahead? It was reckless, a bad idea, but it'd give the VPD some time to think of a plan.

Besides, the goal was to give Cinder and the rest enough time to set things up.

But, how could he get to Mount Glenn at this rate? He could fly down there, but that was suicide. He couldn't stay up here afterwards because of the VPD. So, either he had to reach a compromise between the two options or somehow attempt the landing whilst hoping that none of the Grimm (or the VPD) followed him there. Not to mention the fact that Mount Glenn was _full_ of Grimm, teeming with beasts that made most of the ones he'd fought an absolute joke.

He wouldn't be surprised if Cinder set this up as a botched mission. Hell, what if she tried to do that with the SDC mission, and failed? That'd explain why she was "interested" in his abilities after the event.

After turning the camera off, Jaune shook his head, accelerating the vehicle with a single push.

The Griffon matched his charge with its own.

Jaune's eyes were focused on the thing in front of him. The dark shape grew with terrifying speed, letting out a cry so loud that he thought the Bullhead _shook_ from the power. He just went faster, pushing the machine as far as it could go without losing altitude. He had to match it on that front, lest he end up in a position that allowed it to attack him with its feathers—this was going to be horrible enough _without_ it being able to attack him at close range. With his two feet, he tapped the floor as a way to count how long it's been since they charged, and he was already pondering about that gargantuan maw it had. Was it big enough to rip an entire Bullhead into two and swallow it whole?

He didn't want to find out.

The Griffon's colossal wings seemed to shake the skies with every flap, causing the Bullhead to shake like it was passing through an extreme form of turbulence. He gazed at its red eyes, saw the bone-white mask that clutched tightly onto its face, looked once more at its wings—and the Bullhead descended. The claws were so close to ripping the armour off that when it lurched with a slash, Jaune was almost blown back because of the powerful gusts.

Jaune frowned when he noticed that storms of bullets couldn't penetrate its armour. It didn't even notice that it was getting shot at. It was, somehow, tougher than it looked—which was a statement, alright. The monstrosity looked like a hellish beast, like it ruined so many things just to get so powerful. And it just stayed there, like as if he wasn't even worth its time. Now, he needed to think. What could he do? How could he get the wings and eyes damaged to the point where it can't stay up in the air?

How?

He considered his options quickly. He could spin the left side of the Bullhead at the last second and activate _[Aura Adrenaline/Aura Blast]_ to break some of the armour, but how could he still damage the wings and eyes? Sure, he could blast the shards of the armour back to penetrate its wings and eyes, but how was that reliable in anyway? There was no way he could pull it off considering he _just_ unlocked _[Aura Blast]_.

Jaune tried to think of a different way to make it work, a way to deal with the limitations, but there were far too risky to pull off. The Griffon was extremely mobile; so, he was going to have to not mess about even if it meant making sure some random VPD cop decided to kill him on the spot.

Suddenly, it charged again.

"Give me a minute to think, dammit!" He cursed, and he banked the Bullhead. Then, Jaune pulled it into a small dive before coming up quick, hurtling the Bullhead in the air with a fierce turn. As he did so, however, he pulled out of the turn and flew a far arc over the Griffon to try and get behind its back, so that it couldn't attack him.

And if the Griffon hadn't suddenly tightened its own turn and swung with a mighty tail, it might've given the VPD more space, but instead he lurched out too far and was in an uncomfortable position with the Griffon. Instinctively, his eyes went to his Map, indicating the Grimm's position—but it only told him what he already knew. Curving around it wouldn't be an option, so what if he charged straight down?

It just followed him, staying close enough on his heels that there was enough space to catch more than a glimpse of it but the space was running out. Jaune growled, before trying to shoot one of its eyes out with his revolver.

He wasn't dying because of a bird. Not a chance.

It gave a deafening screech and flapped its wings to push it to the side, and it charged towards him. Jaune rolled again, the wings served round and round, it was so fast that Jaune had to grip the chair tightly to not let the force blow his face back.

Taking a risk, he climbed up again and flipped back down to face the Griffon's back. Jaune _felt_ chills go down his spine; but, the frigid air was unforgiving in the roaring skies. He heard the vibration caused by the nearby flapping of its humongous wings, could see it closing in on the Map, but the machine was pushing itself so much that the engine's sounds were excruciating.

There wasn't much time.

The Griffon suddenly tucked its wings close and rose for a second, but that was all it needed to miss another gunshot. A moment later, there was that dastardly annoying flapping of massive wings on the wind and—

Fuck it. He had no options; the last plan on his mind was crazy, but he had no choice.

Jaune felt the Nevermore drawing nearer. It wasn't trying to shoot at such a close range, settling for simply overcoming the ship and tearing it into two, which it would do soon unless there weren't any backup plans.

Jaune pushed the controls forward, diving for a few seconds and pulled as hard as he could, keeping tight control of the roaring thrusters. The Bullhead rear back, nose pointing upwards like it was staring at the skies, until it suddenly started to turn right back down. The Nevermore passed underneath him, great wings shielding him briefly from the sun.

With the hardest slam he could muster, the thrusters accelerated to a maximum speed and the Bullhead descended down. Down and down, it kept on descending, and for a few seconds it felt like he was just making the Bullhead descend. A moment later, the Griffon curved around towards him. He looked into its red eyes and this time he didn't flee, didn't turn, didn't try to fire a single shot.

The Bullhead crashed straight into the Griffon.

It kept receiving bullets. It kept getting decimated by a hailstorms of bullets, and as the Bullhead descended down, so did the VPD Bullheads. They were firing at the Griffon itself, and ever-so-slowly, the armour cracked.

Soon enough, the VPDs pulled back up again and were staring at Jaune's Bullhead, which didn't stop dropping.

The Griffon tried to hold on to him at first, grasping the Bullhead in its claws as it spread its wings wide, but the flapping force wasn't close to stopping the descent. It tried harder, almost frantically, attempting before seemingly trying to escape.

He wasn't having any of that. As both came free, Jaune thrust the Bullhead close once more, staring down through the breaking glass at its broken mask. It flapped its wings, trying to shift itself to stop its fall, but a mighty slam into its chest stopped it right in its tracks. They corkscrewed through the air towards the unforgiving land, but Jaune didn't care.

He had to do this.

Fifty meters.

Forty.

Thirty.

Twenty-five!

Jaune pulled away less than twenty meters from the ashen trees and watched as the Grimm crashed into a series of buildings, before watching those buildings crash down onto its broken body. It carved a scar of ruthless devastation through the broken land, but it already had enough scars to begin with. With a mighty slam, the Bullhead crashed into the hard concrete, and the windows cracked.

For a moment, he was blinded by a sudden rush of red screens, informing about things like improved mastery of _[Aura Adrenaline/Aura Blast/Dogfighting/Aircraft]_ and some other 'Aerial Combat' skills but I brushed them aside with a sigh, too focused to care. He even got a few level ups from that, and he wasn't surprised. He just went toe-to-toe with a LVL 66 Giant Griffon on his own, and lived.

Stripping off his seatbelt and standing quickly, he walked across broken concrete and checked the buildings that it crashed into. It'd only be a few moments until the Griffon broke out, and he needed to get out here. If this was any other situation, he'd be certain that the Grimm would be dead.

After last time, though, he wasn't taking chances.

He was interrupted by the series of VPD Bullheads that were flying above him, and so he ran deep into Mount Glenn.

 ** _[Quest: "The Vault Part II"]_**

 ** _[Survive your tour across Mount Glenn, evade the VPD, and make sure you get back to Vale.]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): It's the same quest, but it depends on what you do. If you come across additional events, you can get EXP for completing them.]_**

 ** _[This is a dungeon.]_**

* * *

Deep into the river section of Mount Glenn, Jaune was cleaning myself off by the river. Getting gunk off his armour was annoying, as the black blood seemed to stick to the armour and it kept running down his body...

Well, he was filthy on a level that was beyond disgusting. Killing what seemed like an army of Nevermore, robbing the Vault of Vale, dealing with the VPD, and that annoying **_[Son of Storms]_** Grimm seemed to have made him look like utter shit. Thank god that he was actually going to wear the Rat suit. Just... fuck. He didn't mean to be such a horrible mood, but he didn't even know when he'd be able to get back. Would he still be here by nightfall? It was getting dark — but thanks to his night-vision goggles — he wouldn't be freaking out and dying because of the aforementioned.

On the plus side, he developed a new bonus.

 ** _[BONUS: Grimm Warrior]_**

 ** _[Obtained by fighting a major Grimm and surviving]_**

 ** _[10% increase in damage against Grimm.]_**

 _ **[10% increase in defence against Grimm.]**_

It was official. Somehow, he needed to get better, and these quests (as well as training) weren't enough. He'd have to reach some sort of compromise; for, there was no way he'd be able to live beyond the Breach if he kept relying on his own stats and only a few fighting styles.

Sure, he had bombs. Smoke bombs. But, what about flash-bangs? Dust bombs? Ice? Fire? Earth? Any other elemental attacks that could be used? His bombs were only useful because they obscured the vision of a person, but there could always be someone with a semblance that counters the strategy perfectly or has an extremely high perception stat. Neo taught him a few things about plants and poisons, but he wasn't perfectly okay with doing that (unless he had no other options) unless he could just use paralysis agents? Agents that cause the victim to just fall asleep? They could work, but he didn't know the exact effects those agents brought on people with aura. Perhaps, he could go through a few tests, but...

Anyways, his weapons needed upgrading, no question about that. The blueprints were already finished and it wouldn't be long until he'd begin on upgrading the damn things, which was a plus. However, he was stuck in the middle of a mountain that had nothing but Grimm, which was a negative.

Fuck.

Levelling up is going to be harder and harder. Sure, he was LVL 42, but... things would change soon. He'd need to look into other skills: healing, engineering, more science, more botany, etc. Even if he assumed that he only got an amount of experience equivalent to his contribution in the fight, that Griffon was almost LVL 70 and he only got a handful of levels from it. At that rate...

Jaune shook his head. Upon hearing a howl, he sighed, and cocked his revolver. Then, a Beowolf appeared, before it was shot in the head with a single bullet that dropped to the rough concrete.

Jaune frowned, "Right. I have limited ammo..."

Anyways, there are lives at stake for this mission so he couldn't hold back. This meant not wasting points or acting stupidly; if it's just a matter of improving stats by ten points, he could do that any time and it'd be worth more if he trained those stats first. He knew that there were no perks for any stats at fifty, but he didn't know what happened when they reached one hundred.

Sure enough, a moment later a new screen appeared.

 ** _[QUEST: Merlot]_**

 ** _[Search for any clues that give links to Merlot's location.]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): ?]_**

Jaune didn't hesitate in accepting the quest.

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Responses ~_**

* * *

 ** _canyoulikeno4ever1:_** No problem.

 ** _GamehunterMC:_** Yeah, I kinda wanted to up the stakes a little when it came to things. This is Legendary Mode, after all.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 ** _Stats Sheet_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 42_**

 ** _Title: The Gamer (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 2800/4200_**

 ** _MP: 300/4200_**

 ** _SP: 800/4200_**

 ** _EXP: 25,575/31,805_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 19/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 73/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 31/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 52 [60]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 45 [53]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 45 [50]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 37 [42]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 60 [60]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	24. 24 - Peace

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

 _Listen, I know I warned you guys on chapter 1, but this chapter is a way worse offender than the previous ones._

 _Just thought I'd tell you that._

 _UPDATED: 24/01/2018_

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Sometimes, people change the world after it shatters their very being."_**

* * *

 _Remnant. A world where hell reigned, a world where nobody ever lived a full life._

 _Corpses blur together, nowadays. Didn't matter who, where, how old they were..._

 _They just died._

 _And it just repeated itself, the cycle just happened over and over again._

 _His heart was screaming at him to not let Remnant take anything else, because he had the power, right? Power to protect others._

 _..._

 _He should've not hold back._

 ** _That family was dead because he just watched it all happen, because he didn't choose to do the right thing and kill the piece of shit._**

 ** _. . ._**

 ** _. ._**

 ** _._**

 ** _What's the point of letting people just live in a world like Remnant?_**

 ** _. . ._**

 ** _. ._**

 ** _._**

In this world where alcohol is served in bars, or near a few other shops, business would always be consistent. It didn't matter how many people were there; well, the people who visited these kind of places drank for various reasons. Maybe, they're forgetting about the horrors they went through, or they're just drinking for fun. The saddest reason of all, however, would be drinking because life threw you down.

Hours ago, that changed.

For the first time in a long time, a thick, uncomfortable, borderline-painful tension inserted itself into the atmosphere of the room. There was no merry talk. There was no laughter. There was no jesting. There was only a sombre silence shared by men and women, human and faunus, civilian or policeman. A sombre silence only broken by men and women drinking in the bars, listening to the Vale News.

 _"Hello, Vale News, this is Lisa Lavender..."_

The news trailed on from there, and the world couldn't help but listen. Listened to the newswoman who talked about how a man had broken into a Vale's greatest vault and got away. They listened when it was revealed that man recorded the whole thing; and for once, the whole world was listening. For once, they forgot about everything, and just listened.

At one such place, a blonde man sat. His dull eyes stared lifelessly at the cup on the table.

"Did you hear the news?"

"You mean about the robbery and the aerial massacre?"

"God, what a fucking monster."

"I just can't believe it. One of Torchwick's henchmen did something that not even Torchwick had managed..."

The man at the bar clenched his drink, his attention now focused on the tense talking around him.

"Yeah. It was a complete massacre. I've heard that the council itself is hosting a moment of silence for the dead..."

"My God."

"I've heard one of the guys from our street's already planning a funeral."

And it was silent from there.

"Fuck," They echoed once more.

"I hope to God that whoever is the Rat just dies. He's a disease. Can you imagine him becoming even worse?"

"I don't want to imagine the Rat being way worse, I just can't..."

The man turned around and walked towards the two.

"Do you mind if I sit here? I'm just not in a good mood, tonight..."

The two nodded, and together, the three of them raised their glasses.

"To Vale."

The glasses clacked together.

"To Vale," Nicholas Arc whispered with an empty voice.

The silence returned.

* * *

¯\\_( ͠° ͟ʖ °͠ )_/¯

* * *

An odd kind of silence fell upon him for a while after what happened, neither comfortable nor companionable. His mind flickered back and forth between a variety of unpleasant memories; the kind that'd take a swift drink or two to forget, but he didn't have the luxury. He never did, really, and Juniper wasn't here to support him as he went through these... things. Each and very corpse burned into his mind. And feeling _so_ vulnerable at the time was... unbearable.

Some days, no matter how hard he tried to repress, or remain calm, he simply could not.

Walking in the dark was incredibly uncomfortable. Each step felt stiff and awkward as Jaune tried to maintain a calm walk. His grip tightened on his revolver, and his eyes roamed to the teeming life around him, here in this deep frigid city, a city overtaken by growing vines that hung on the buildings themselves. Jaune continued to walk at a quick pace, his daggers sliding silently across his leg.

An Ursa must've his gaze on it because it turned its head around and roared. Well, it would've roared, but a bomb in its mouth and a couple of shots were enough to put it out of its misery. It wasn't even an Ursa Major, nor was it a Grimm that was enhanced by Merlot's mutation serum. The strongest of the Grimm here were excluded from the others; and well, it was because Merlot wanted to enhance them with his serum.

He'd get onto that later; there were more pressing issues to deal with.

His goals for the night were simple:

One: Get to Merlot's base and scavenge anything he could find as long as it had an use. Escaping the mountain would take a few hours, but did he have enough resources to comfortably roam around? Not a chance.

Two: The boss from before must, if it's encountered, be destroyed. If it's programmed to hunt him down; why wouldn't he kill it for the EXP? EXP was the only option he had; but, was it the only option he'd take? Who knows? It wasn't something so important right now.

Three: Establish control over Merlot's base so that he could develop some control of the mountain.

Four: Fend off the VPD long enough to get into Cinder's hidden base, this'd help with getting a means of transport.

Five: Get back to Vale but not before completing the rest of the objectives, unless the situation is irreparable.

It was nice to know that he had a plan to get through the mountain, but executing a plan rather than thinking of one is more difficult than it seemed. Regardless, Jaune sighed, and trekked across the crumbled bastion that was the city of Mount Glenn. Broken buildings, smashed windows, black blood that must've drizzled down from a Grimm, they weren't lovely sights for him and why would they be lovely? It was heart-breaking. Knowing that men, women, _children_... died in this city because nobody wanted to help them.

They thought it wasn't worth saving their lives; and, why would they?

But, Jaune couldn't stop imagining the screams. The screams, the bleeding, the killing... what kind of monster would create the Grimm? Why would some twisted deity decide that, one day, they'd create monstrosities who only wanted genocide? Hell, what if you died and a shell of who you were became a Grimm in your place? It was just so... hard to take in. Jaune took a deep breath in, ignored the crazed feeling of panic in his chest, and walked ahead. It wouldn't be long until he'd get to Merlot's abandoned base; but, it was surprising to know that Merlot abandoned the facility _this_ early.

Despite his suspicions, ones that weren't easy to ignore, Jaune continued walking towards the facility itself. Surprisingly, there were no Grimm about, seemingly focused on the VPD and any reinforcements the Council decided to send in. He was lucky. Well, it depends on how someone would look at the situation, but considering things he wouldn't be surprised if he was considered lucky. Regardless, Jaune stared at the colossal building that screamed 'in need of repair', and it refused to leave his eyes. And upon walking towards the black door, he looked around to double-check for a hint of a trap.

Upon finding no hints, Jaune pushed the door to a side and walked in. A bizarre kind of silence fell upon him after that, but it wasn't uncomfortable or any of the sort. If anything, it wasn't comforting, but it was better than panicking when he fell down to the catacombs below in the SDC incident. Was it too much to hope that there weren't any horrific machines waiting to tear him into bloody shreds? Probably.

As he walked through the empty halls, Jaune noticed an overwhelming pile of dust littering the floor. It wasn't the kind of dust that people on Remnant used, but it was the civilian version. It was strange to see something like dust of all things, and it was more strange to just... know it was there like as if it was just the weirdest thing in the hall. Curious, but something that he'd shrug off. Besides, didn't he have this building to deal with?

And upon walking into the computer room, he skittered about, looking for anything of interest. There were only books about Grimm, books about Aura, scientific studies that were not relevant — not of any use to him in any way whatsoever — but, it wasn't until his eyes darted to a black book on top of the shelf that he stopped scrambling about. Again, it was a book with notes by Dr. Merlot, but it was on books about mana. Well, in that case, he'd have to put them in the inventory for now and then sort things out.

Suddenly, one of the cameras flashed, and he heard a scream.

Jaune's heart caught itself in his throat; but, he didn't stop moving. Why would he? Looking through each and every camera he could find, he couldn't see anything that seemed off... maybe it was in a hidden room? Quickly, Jaune brandished his weapons and ran down a hall towards the noise, a noise that kept ripping his emotions apart with the sheer... what he was hearing couldn't be described appropriately. Jarring, broken, angry, frustrated, pleading... it felt like the person who screamed wanted to die. And as soon as he heard another scream, Jaune wasn't holding back.

The lab was filled with shrill screams; and who was he to not find out what was going on? Even as a criminal, he had a bleeding heart of sorts for other people and it did lead him to sacrificing a lot to continue being Cinder's postman. But, that didn't matter, not now. Not when a person sounded like they were being tortured to death by some sort of insane scientist.

He didn't realise what he was about to find.

If he knew what he was going to face, maybe, he'd have prepared himself.

Frankly? He expected some sort of grand battle, or maybe some dangerous fight that he needed to break up. Some of the members in the White Fang did have a penchant for violence, so it wouldn't have been surprising to see them having another casual fight between comrades.

Unfortunately, that was not the case.

Instead, he found his target torturing a poor boy. A _child._

His anger was too swift and excruciating to hold at the time. A bullet in his shoulder and two daggers ripping into the skin of his legs was enough to stop his... brutal attack.

His life didn't end right away.

Patching up the traumatised child as best as he could, his hands shook all the while and his stomach dropped. The children's own arms had been disfigured to the point where they were like sticks, twisted around like coils, and one of his eyeballs were scattered into pieces on the floor. In spite of the horror he had went through, the horrible pain the poor kid was in, he was too broken to even know what was going around him. And again, before he could do anything, the child fell back against the wall limp.

He was dead.

Then a disgusting stench ripped away from the other room; and, his eyes were leaking out tears because it was _that_ terrible.

It seemed that when the target before him had his way, he'd torture people. Children, men, women, mothers and fathers, it didn't _matter._

And when Jaune opened the door...

He had kidnapped no less than thirteen people.

Seven were dead when he'd already arrived.

Two ate the corpses around them, deranged to the point where they didn't have a chance to live. And eventually, they were already tearing themselves apart, simply killing themselves. Blood was pooling down at the ground near them, the once black-shiny floor now a bloody red, stained by dry blood that showed those people weren't the _first_ lot to come here.

"Oh my god," His voice betrayed his attempt to hide his emotions. Jaune walked towards two of the people who desperately needed medical attention; and, he felt bile come up his throat. One man had scars across his chest, and it looked like flies were _eating_ his flesh. His eyes, what must've once been a bright blue, were now dark and tired. Tired from the pain, exhausted from the torturing, and he was broken. Broken. How could the man who was bleeding to death behind him justify what he was doing?

And then there was the woman. If it weren't for his mask, the woman probably would've seen his face pale even more. One of her arms were gone, bisected into two and it was filled with maggots swarming around, just... _digesting_ her skin. Eating it, breaking the cells down, and just ripping through her flesh like it was nothing. The woman didn't even feel the pain, nor did she scream out. She reached out towards him with a purple arm, and Jaune started operating on the two of them.

He tried _everything._ Everything he had, everything he knew, everything he could do. Jaune ignored the notifications that were blasting noises into his ears; and why would he acknowledge them? He was too focused — emotionally ruined and enraged — but too focused. Why would some meagre series of notifications have more value than the two people in front of him?

Two passed away soon after his arrival due to severe exhaustion, blood loss, infection, and his own lack of first aid skills.

One was catatonic.

And the last one begged him to end his life. And he was a child.

It was the only thing he could do.

He was in disbelief.

He was in anger.

He was in despair.

He was...

 _'People killed, tortured for scientific research, just for another person's gain...'_ And not a single huntsman or policeman bothered to search for them.

Why?

 _'Because people are selfish and would do anything for their own goals,'_ His own voice answered him, it was in the back of his mind, and he knew it was true.

Each one must've disappeared around Vale and ended up marked with cases that went cold. No one believed civilians could survive in a place like Mount Glenn. No one thought it was worth risking their lives to save the poor people who were tortured to death by a sadistic man who worked under Merlot. He imagined people arguing that, if they survived, they would've returned.

How... disgusting.

Out of these thirteen people, he couldn't save a single person.

Jaune stood silently, staring at the corpses sprawled across the floor.

And he turned towards the door, gazing at a crying man who lifted one arm up. Jaune walked silently, his entire body shook with an overwhelming anger, his mind was completely scattered — like as if it was just _gone_ — but, his mind was focusing on one task. One goal, one requirement, one solution.

Kill the man.

"Please," The man spoke with shaking hands and tears down his eyes. "I'll do anything. I'll give you anything! Money, power, research, anything! Just let me live!" The man's voice became louder when Jaune continued walking, his mask staring at him with a hollow look, like as if he just didn't care about what he was saying.

"Why?"

The man's teeth chattered as he spoke up, "What are you talking about-?"

Jaune grabbed the man's throat and slammed him into the wall, "You _know_ what I'm talking about," His other arm pointed to the opposite room. "Why were you torturing innocent people to death? What could possibly make you want to do this?!" The man tried to grab at Jaune's hand, trying to tell him to let go. And by the time he ended his sentence, the man's face was already becoming purple.

Jaune dropped the man, and he breathed rapidly. "It was research! Before he left, Dr. Merlot wanted me to torture them to death and then inject them with the serum!"

"What serum-?"

"HIS MUTATION SERUM!" The scientist's voice raised even higher, and he sobbed. "He wanted me to kill them, he said something about how the negativity of a person upon death improved the chance of the serum working with the body-!" Jaune frowned.

"Do you know anything else?"

"No, let me go! Wait, what are you doing-?" He ordered, only to look terrified at the shaking daggers that were tightly clasped in Jaune's hands.

Jaune gripped his daggers, and walked towards him. "I believe we're done talking."

And with that, the man _screamed._

This was the worst day of his life, and one of the most important. Jaune forgot how many times he shot that man, or cut him with his daggers, or shot him again and again and again. He forgot how many times he stabbed the man through with his bloodied daggers, how many times he shot him in the face, how many times he just mauled the man's face into ripped pieces of skin. He was _so_ lost, just freaking out on the inside, and his emotions were running wildly. They were too wild to control, too swift to deal with, and they were too powerful to stop.

Jaune couldn't even speak because his voice was that hoarse.

Tears ran down his face, but he didn't need to do anything. He just sat down against the wall, dropping his mask onto the floor with a single clack, and just cried his eyes out. His body shook from his anger; and what could he do now? These people, these _innocent_ people, were tortured to death because of an insane man who wanted to serve another insane man. It was enough to make him question whether or not the real monsters on Remnant were the Grimm. At least the Grimm were mindless; except for a few. And even then, they were driven to kill because of their instincts.

And for a few minutes, he was silent.

 _'Monsters thrive on hurting others,'_ A thought told him. _'No one suspects them. They take what they see at face value and never look underneath.'_

 _'Does that mean there are a lot more like this scum?'_

 _'Many more.'_

Silence.

 _"What could you possibly get by hurting so many people?"_

His hands curled into fists.

 _"How does that make all of this worth it?!"_

Then, he stood.

He could not bring these people back to life, nor could he undo the horrors they faced.

But, he could bring them justice when no one else could.

He could give them vengeance...

No. It was more than that.

Humans and Faunus can never live together in a world of peace naturally; they were too selfish. They did things for their own goals, they wanted things for themselves, and there were many instances where history proves this. People chose to hate others because of minor differences, whether if it was because of a physical difference or a difference in beliefs, driving others to respond by making their own solutions. These solutions bring more pain, which makes more people bring their own 'solutions', making this cycle repeat.

Wasn't this the reason why the White Fang formed, later turning into a terrorist organisation forced to harm others for the sake of the Faunus?

How was he so different? He was a murderer, he wanted to change Remnant into a world of his own image, and he just wanted these things for his own benefit. In a way, he wasn't so different from Ozpin and Salem. They wanted to change a world by fitting it into their image of what Remnant should be. Their ideals warped the world into something different, whether if it was a world filled with Grimm or a world without them.

But, this world was suffering because they, as a people, couldn't even let their hatred go and keep the past behind them.

How was _he_ so different?

After all, it was these boys, these children, those wives, husbands, fathers, daughters, sons, mothers-who were all killed because of a madman who he killed for justice. Didn't the people of Vale want him to be brought to justice because of his actions? What about the children, wives, husbands, fathers, daughters, sons, who wanted him to be brought to justice for _his_ actions?

How was it fair to let him speak about his suffering when so many people suffered because of his actions? How was it fair to let the White Fang speak about their suffering when so many humans suffered because of their actions? Was this world even fair at all?

No... it wasn't.

The world they lived in was unacceptable.

There was only one solution.

Change the world.

It was the _only_ permanent solution he could think of; any other scenarios wouldn't work. If he just saved Vale, the rest of the four relics would be threatened...

The Relics.

The Relics could be a great part of gaining enough power to stop Salem; he knew the [ _Gamer's Body]_ wouldn't be enough. Even if he trained for years with the [ _Gamer's Body],_ he couldn't become strong enough to fight Salem. It was _impossible._ A person who had that much control over millions of Grimm across an entire world would be so strong that it'd be impossible to fight them. Which led to his next point...

Could he really do this on his own?

After a few minutes of considering, Jaune sighed.

No, he couldn't. Even if he was far stronger than before, there was no way he could do this on his own. He needed people who could fight against Salem and Ozpin, but who could help him? Many of the powerful huntsman in this world were aligned with Ozpin, who did his best to give them a chance to live a worthy life, but Salem helped others to make them want to bring destruction.

But, either way...

This world — this system — it needed to change. If he wanted to go through this, Jaune Arc couldn't exist anymore.

His eyes drifted closed.

 _'I will be the last monster standing in this world.'_

 _'At. Any. Cost.'_

* * *

¯\\_( ͠° ͟ʖ °͠ )_/¯

* * *

The moment Jaune walked out of the base, Jaune looked up at the rain drizzling down onto his mask. But, he kept on walking. He walked and trekked across the broken concrete, once prideful statues turned into pitiful shells of what they were. Skeletons laid around of all shapes and sizes; skeletons of children; skeletons of what must've been mothers and fathers. The skeletons of people.

Jaune looked ahead, and held a moment of silence for the dead.

But, it was broken by the Griffon that fought him up in the skies. It was a broken beast. Armour that once shined turned into cracked shells of what they were, one of the eyes were completely black like as if the eye was gone. And he brandished his revolvers, gazed down the hollow beast that faced him with an admirable tenacity. And of course, who would be surprised? The Grimm were the Grimm; they were mindless beasts who followed orders without question. Without curiosity, freedom, or the right to think.

After reloading his revolvers, he stood there and stared the beast down.

And the rain roared with thunder when the Griffon ran with a lurching claw.

Despite the horrendous strength the Griffon still possessed; Jaune refused to be pushed back. Jaune fired a bullet into one of the Griffon's eyes, hearing it scream with a tumultuous sound that broke the world around them. Screams echoed within the distance, seemingly making the entire world focus in on their fight. And what could Jaune do? Run away from this horrible thing? No. He wasn't fighting because of an ego, he was fighting because it meant more EXP. EXP meant more power. Power meant freedom. Freedom meant a path that'd lead to peace. He may be just as much of a megalomaniac as Cinder, but he wanted power for others.

So, as claws tried to rip him apart, he swerved around. It must've been strange seeing such a low-levelled person fight a high-level Griffon, but it'd take only a few shots from his revolver to kill it. And as soon as the sound of one bang occurred, another eye was gone. Howling winds blasted against his face, but he gripped his weapons tightly.

His life wouldn't end here.

And as the Griffon struggled to stand up, Jaune already started planting bombs across the arena with haste. Griffons had tough armour, two wings on their backs, and were known for eating their opponents alive. If he could somehow manage to deal enough damage to the wings, it'd allow him to give him sometime to kill the damn thing. The armour wasn't a problem; its shell was broken and fractured. Considering its exhaustion, it wasn't likely to try and eat him alive, so any concerns regarding the last issue became resolved.

Jaune aimed at the Griffon's eyes just before the smoke bombs exploded across the battlefield, and he looked down at the ground. With a single shot, the Griffon started screaming to the skies above with a rampant wail, forcing Jaune to cover his ears. Jaune must've stopped breathing. His ears were ringing like sirens; but, Jaune refused to stop shooting at the damn thing. Screams or none, giving up wasn't an option for him nor was it considered one. And with a snarl that erupted from his throat, Jaune fired at its hind legs. It didn't stop moving, nor did it stop screaming for him to stop.

He didn't care.

Why should he?

As Jaune descended down from the building above to stare at the downed beast, he fired consecutive shots. One bullet penetrated its last eye, making the ground shake from the screeching. Two bullets entered its fractured armour, forcing it to crack even more until it felt to the ground with a crack.

The final two bullets entered the wings, forcing it to stay down because of its weakness.

Pulling out two daggers, Jaune gripped the beast's mask tightly, before slashing one wing.

It _screamed._

His second dagger slashed another wing.

It _screeched._

And finally, he plunged the dagger straight into its last eye.

It _wailed._

Jaune watched it fade away; and despite the alerts, Jaune turned around and walked towards Vale.

 ** _[Defeated "Son Of Storms!"]_**

 ** _[4X Level Ups!]_**

 ** _[LVL: 42 - LVL: 46]_**

 ** _[QUEST: "The Vault II" Completed!]_**

 ** _[110,000 EXP!]_**

 ** _[2X Level Ups!]_**

 ** _[LVL: 46 - LVL: 48]_**

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 48_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 950/4800_**

 ** _MP: 150/4800_**

 ** _SP: 300/4800_**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/41,880_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 27/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 34/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 43/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 52 [60]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 54 [62]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 55 [60]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 42 [47]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	25. 25 - Burial

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Sometimes, people change the world after it shatters their very being."_**

* * *

 _It all looked the same to him._

 _People blurred together. Human. Faunus. Huntsmen. The White Fang._

 _They all fought for their own needs, not for others. They refused to let go of their own selfishness; simply wanting to serve themselves._

 _Who cared about the outcome of the conflict?  
_

 _Everyone lost this._

 _This was a battle that'd repeat; hell, it was a battle that was already repeated._

 _How many loved ones must be buried?_

 _How many mothers, fathers, and children must be buried because of this cycle?_

 _There was one way to break this cycle._

 _The only way._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

As was becoming a staple of his life, his plans were a work in progress. Thus far he had 'get back to Cinder's headquarters' down as his first goal and a fair number of questions between here and there, but he figured that the important part was having his priorities straight. Get back to Cinder's headquarters, develop a varied skill-set, end the conflict, survive it all—he knew what he wanted to accomplish.

And all told, he'd say it was going pretty okay, in a relative sort of way. Using the VPD's reluctance to fire over the city against them had gotten him past the limits of Vale and then some strategy thinking and careful flying had them off his trail and given him a chance to get back to Cinder. He wasn't worried about them firing at his aircraft, because Jaune knew if they tried to take down the ship then many civilians would die from the crash, and perhaps many more would be injured. That had bought him a fair amount of time to get back to the docks; and henceforth, head back to Cinder's base.

At that point, well... bringing the White Fang into the equation was a calculated risk. The VPD was struggling to deal with the Rat, and it wasn't like the White Fang couldn't evade them. It had taken a few short orders — courtesy of being Torchwick's second henchman — but his orders were obeyed. That wasn't to say the entirety of the VPD were distracted; but, if it meant having less people looking for him then it was worth the time spent.

Since then, however, Vale had turned into a bastion of paranoia. There were a few reasons to suggest this: people around Vale refused to trust the VPD because of their actions; they kept blaming the hunters for not dedicating the time needed to stop them; the White Fang's activities turned Vale into a world of discrimination and fear. It's ironic how _his_ actions partly took a role in this — well, since he had joined Cinder's organisation to stop her from decimating Vale. To stop her from turning Vale into a coliseum of ruin; something he'd never want to see.

But, it was ironic, wasn't it? His actions were feeding the paranoia of the citizens, whether they were huntsmen, criminals, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters, they were all terrified. Of him, of a man who just wanted to stop Cinder.

Jaune landed the Bullhead in front of Cinder's base and it was only slightly worse for wear, which was miraculous, all things considered. Cinder was already there waiting for him, standing silently by the gateway to their acting headquarters by the docks.

"Welcome back," She'd said as he left the aircraft, moving away from the broken wall. "I take it everything went well?"

"Can't whine," He said, walking towards her. She cocked an eyebrow as he did, so he probably seemed different than before. "Crashed the Bullhead into the Giant Griffon I fought once before, got chased by the entire VPD, murdered a _scientist_ and spared a few people. That's all."

Cinder nodded slowly, one of her eyes darted to the wrecked Bullhead.

"I'm not joking," He admitted. "Except maybe the sparing a few people part; I did spare them. Just not in a..."

Cinder looked at him again, looking between the Bullhead and him. Jaune didn't say anything more but he sluggishly shrugged his shoulders.

She paused for a long moment before shaking her head, moving on.

"I've heard you managed to infiltrate the Vault," Cinder said with a small smirk, but she gave him a pondering glance. "I believe congratulations are in short order; perhaps we could talk about a few future missions later?"

"I don't see why we can't talk about a few things," Jaune nodded, but it was after a few seconds of consideration. "However, I don't think you're interested in talking about future assignments; it's something else."

Cinder chuckled. "Haven't you heard of the phrase, 'think before you speak?' Questioning your boss is disrespectful, after all." And she ended the statement with an amused glance, like she was playing with him, expecting him to negatively react to the reminder of their confrontation back then.

Jaune, again, gave a nonchalant shrug. "When you're involved in situations that are life-threatening, it gets easier to not panic over these things. To be frank? I just want to complete these assignments." He finished, and he was already staring down at the flames in Cinder's hands.

After what seemed like a minute, the flames died down. There was a subtle twitch in her expression; but, it disappeared. "Very well. Head into the main room; and, get some refreshments while you're in there." She finished with a soft voice, but Jaune refused to fall for her trick.

"Thank you," He shortly replied, walking towards the door in a slow fashion. Meanwhile, Cinder walked away in her uniform, simply wanting to deceive the students at Beacon. As always.

And with that, Jaune knocked on the door.

The door opened a moment later, Emerald's green-haired form greeting him from the partly closed door, red eyes tracking to his mask and then behind him, to Cinder's back. Green eyebrows moved towards her hairline momentarily before she shrugged, opening the door and moving aside for him to pass. She clearly wanted to say something and just as clearly had been given explicit instructions to keep her mouth shut. He locked eyes with her, bloodshot blue eyes meeting red ones, and gave a tired smile. "Hello again."

"Uh, hi," she returned, unsure how to respond and she stood silently for a moment. Shaking her head, she closed the door and followed him inside, expression shifting back to neutral. "I heard about your mission, how did it go?" She said, sitting down by the sofa to look at a book. Looking at the title, Jaune couldn't help but chuckle, prompting Emerald to give him a suspicious look.

But, that chuckle went silent. Jaune's mask dropped to his hand, and sat down right next to her with the shake of his head, "It was shit," he said bluntly. "Had to deal with... saving a few people. And I don't mean the happy ending kind," He murmured, and Emerald darted her eyes away in response.

"At least you're alive, right?" Emerald asked, and Jaune simply crossed his legs. "If you're alive, then that means you have a chance to live the lives they wanted-!"

"-I'm sure they would want a criminal to live the lives they wanted to live, Emerald." He responded with snark, but he shot her an apologetic look after his remark. "Sorry, I shouldn't be an asshole, it's not your fault they..." Jaune spoke with a dull voice, shaking his head with a sigh.

Emerald sipped from her cup of hot chocolate. "Mercury is more snarky than you, don't worry about it." She waved him off, putting her cup down on the mini-table in front of them. "I'll be frank with you; you're more than you seemed to be, Arc."

"I don't know whether to take that as a compliment or become suspicious, perhaps both?" He asked with a dry tone.

"I'm just saying-" Emerald rolled her eyes before her face became neutral again. "-that successfully robbing the _Vault Of Vale_ a few months after getting shot by a guy you're now working with is strange as fuck." She stated, "It's impossible. A person who loses their memories takes _years_ to get to a level where they're taken seriously by the VPD. And you're telling me that, after a few months, you became a better thief than most? That's bullshit, and we both know that."

"True," Jaune admitted. "But, look on the bright side! The VPD are fucking themselves over, the people of Vale are scared, and the only people who'd actually be a threat (and try to bother with us) would be Team RWBY! Or maybe some other huntsmen, I don't know." He finished with a chuckle.

The room became silent.

"Right." Emerald sipped again, before giving a disgruntled sigh. "The Vytal Tournament's coming up soon; kids all over the place will be competing. And it's just annoying," She rolled her eyes. "I mean, how can those kids be so happy all the time?" She asked him, crossing her legs and sipping from her cup.

"I'll... admit that I'm not exactly one to be happy all the time, but life isn't infinite. It isn't something you throw away, something you can spend being miserable by doing things you don't want to do. People die all the time, you know." Jaune spoke quietly, but Emerald heard him anyways.

"You're right, I guess." Emerald tapped the arm of the sofa with her index finger, her face still neutral but almost looking thoughtful. "It doesn't mean the whole world is a happy place, though." A bitter element entered her voice; and, it made him turn towards her.

"Of course, but a world of peace..." His voice trailed off, quieting into a hushed breath.

Emerald blinked. "Uh, what did you say?"

Jaune blinked. "Oh, sorry about that." A chuckle escaped his throat, and a short frown stopped it quickly. "Do you ever wonder about living in a normal world? Maybe, a world where the Grimm didn't exist, and everyone lived normal lives?" Jaune shot her a curious glance. Admittedly, there had been some curiosity about how Emerald perceived the world, and she never really addressed it before.

Emerald sighed. "I don't think there'd be much of a difference, to be honest." She paused, sipping from her cup of hot chocolate, putting it down to speak again. "The only difference in the world would be _what_ the horrible aspects of Remnant were. Instead of Grimm, we'd have people trying to achieve things for their own benefits. Hell, a normal world wouldn't be that much different, to be honest."

"I suppose, in a sense, it's like we're cursed to not make peace." Jaune chuckled. "People are selfish; they want to achieve things for themselves. And the people who are kind enough to care for other people end up changed by the world or flat-out dead. It's a bit..."

"Fucked up?" Emerald asked.

"Yeah." Jaune responded. "I guess it is, and the only thing we could do is make the best of a situation, you know? But I suppose we can't really do that when it feels like the world's against you, even if that's an immature idea to think of." And when he finished, Emerald's eyebrows rose into her hairline.

"So..."

"Yeah. I know, pretty awkward, isn't it?"

"Pretty much."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Oh for fuck's sake, I went through a shit day. Can I not be a silent henchman for a few moments?"

Emerald rolled her eyes. "Right, and you're suddenly leading Torchwick's entire gang and swinging a cane around." Emerald finished with a dry tone, and Jaune couldn't help but laugh at that.

"You forgot the dramatic gestures he makes." Jaune pointed out with a raised finger — and Emerald must've given a disgruntled sigh at that — making Jaune raise an eyebrow in response. "You really get along with snarky people, don't you?"

Emerald shot him a look. "You mean snarky people I'm forced to work with," she corrected and made Jaune exaggerate the tragedy of the statement. With only a few gestures, Jaune successfully made Emerald palm her face with a heavy expression. And after a few moments, Jaune started walking to the blacksmith room, which was created as a basis for all residents to make their weapons without being... discovered.

Meanwhile, Emerald was walking besides him with a neutral look on her face. "So, you got any plans for later?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question, but answered. "Let me guess, you want to talk with me about something?"

Emerald sighed. "I suppose, but it's pretty damn important."

"And how important is pretty damn important?"

"Enough to raise an eyebrow, at least."

Now, _that_ made him raise an eyebrow. "Cinder really does expect perfection, doesn't she?"

Emerald shot him an annoyed look, and it took him a moment to figure out what was going on. Cinder hadn't just secured the thief's loyalty, but it seemed. As the two of them were walking to the room, Jaune spoke, "Emerald?"

The green-haired girl turned, regarding him with an exasperated frown. "What is it?"

He knew all of this was going to be a curious discussion, but he still wanted to assure her that he wouldn't fuck around for long—and that he wasn't planning to mess about. And after looking around the area for a bit, Jaune spoke, "What did you want to talk to me about?"

Emerald spoke with no hesitance. "I found a few things, and it's a bit worrying. Team RWBY isn't the only Beacon team you'll be dealing with, and Ozpin is already starting to focus on the situation," she finished with a subtle twitch.

Ah, fuck. The quest from before told him about Team RWBY wasn't going to be the only team after him. Now, _that_ was a problem in itself, because Team NPR wasn't a joke at all. Nora Valkyrie, last time he fought her, _demolished_ him in a fight. Knowing that he couldn't even fight _two_ of Team RWBY at once and win became a bit of a problem, it was still fixable though, but there was no way in hell he'd be able to win against _all_ of them at once. Having not one, but _two_ of Beacon's most impressive teams going after him is a bit of an issue.

Not to mention Ozpin, who could become a massive issue to deal with if he stopped being passive. And he was in a situation where Ozpin wasn't going to be as passive as before; no, this Ozpin was far more dangerous than the canon version. Not in strength, or any of the other feats, but the fact Ozpin decided to not remain passive unlike in canon? Unless he could surprise them, Ozpin could figure a few things out and do something about him.

Jaune spoke. "Great," he sighed. "Do you know when they're starting the whole thing?"

Emerald brushed some hair out of her face, before nodding. "You have until next week; after that, it's entirely on you. As for the rest of us? We'll be handling the White Fang, and Cinder'll focus on dealing with Beacon." And with that, Emerald turned away. She walked towards the opposite end of the hall-

"Emerald." He called, and she turned with a curious frown. "Thanks."

Emerald nodded, before her steps became quiet, and then they were silent.

As Jaune pressed the door forward, he noticed Juniper in the room. Juniper looked exhausted: black bags were under her eyes; her eyes were blood-shot; and their face was pale. He noticed the fact that Juniper shouldn't even be walking; she was limping. But what stood out the most was the haunted look on her face, like as if she went through hell.

"Juniper?" His voice called out, and Juniper just walked towards him.

And she hugged him, just threw her arms around him tightly. Jaune stood there in a stunned silence; and, he wondered what brought this behaviour on. "What happened?"

Juniper didn't speak.

And Jaune didn't demand an answer, simply placing the blueprints for the models of a few upgraded weapons on the table next to them.

"You should go back to bed," Jaune stated. "This isn't... healthy. At all. You can't let yourself-!"

"-I know," Juniper responded. "I'm just... not feeling good, okay?" She gave him a sad smile, simply sighing. "The mission got a little graphic, that's all."

 _Oh._

And with that thought, Jaune's voice came out. "I won't lie to you and say my mission wasn't a little graphic, either." He chuckled, stopping when Juniper shot him a concerned glance. "Don't worry about it," a pause occurred after that. Jaune's concern for her heightened. "Just go back to bed."

"What about you?"

Jaune shook his head. "I'll be fine, just go back to bed." When Juniper looked like she wanted to speak up, Jaune stopped her with a whisper that sounded like he was begging her to go back to bed. "Please. I'll be up there with you soon, okay?"

It was clear that Juniper wanted to speak more, to counter his arguments and claim _he_ needed to rest. But he wouldn't let someone ruin themselves; after all, he had already done that when he fought Ruby. As Juniper walked by, she put a hand on his shoulder, forcing him to bore his eyes into hers.

"Just..." She hesitated. "Could you please, be careful? Going out there again won't be the same." And with that warning, he soon heard the doors shut after her.

Now, he needed to focus on upgrading his weapons.

 _After all, this is just the beginning._

* * *

The simple fact of the matter was that you couldn't predict everything. You couldn't _plan_ for everything. This is especially true for when you're planning against someone else, because then you're dealing with the fact that a portion of your plans depend on the actions of the latter rather than the former, the latter being someone who most likely wants you to die in a fire. Of course, there are many ways to deal with that because another fact is that we often do go against one another, on many, many circumstances and for a few reasons.

Personally, he'd been kind of hoping good surprise would see him through. Surprise was a wonderful thing in any plan; sure, the opponent would try and stop you... if they knew what you were planning, that is. The easiest way to deal with opposition, if someone can manage the situation— don't.

Sadly, many times, even frequent times, that just wasn't possible. The same thing that made surprise an asset made it a threat if used against you, so people planned meticulously to not let it happen to them. Maybe that was what happened earlier; there'd been a layer of security he hadn't noticed, a discovery that didn't add up, and maybe even just bad luck. Whatever the case, a problem had occurred.

The bright side is that occurring in plans is what problems did and people had been dealing with that sort of thing for years, too. A lot of times, we try to plan ahead—the best way to never get caught off guard is plan for everything and know everything, after all. Mostly impossible; unfortunately, but it was something many people aimed for regardless. He had made a series of plans, but he hadn't expected going into Merlot's base to discover that Merlot abandoned the whole thing before he did in canon.

That was odd.

For that reason, Jaune paused for a moment. With his Bullhead outside of the building, with the building now his, with no idea on what to expect, Jaune calmly remained in the building re-organising the place.

A significant part of planning is, naturally, preparation—wasn't that the point of planning in the first place? The same was true of contingencies and backup plans, and pretty much had turned fighting into the art it was, today. The flaw with plans — as he learned from before — was that plans stuck to a rigid format. Specific actions led to specific moments, and surprises were a _horrible_ problem to face when a person was pulling one off. At times like that, a plan needed to be dynamic.

Which is why the hilarious truth about planning things out from the beginning is that often times, you practice and prepare and think over it a lot—only to have someone or something ruin the entire structure or completely change the situation into something else. Luckily, the latter occurred for him, and he didn't want to imagine what'd happen if Merlot's... his base had caused the former.

And wasn't that why he was here, right now? Even if the remaining bits of his faith in the world became shattered, he'd gained so much more. Before, his original goal started with the idea of working alongside "canon" and changing little bits to make the scenario a little different; but, that had changed. After getting kicked down _over and over_ again by the world, getting kicked down because he was trying to save Vale even if he wasn't doing good things, becoming the feared ideal that was the Rat, he was done.

It was simply that; really, he was done with life kicking him down.

The White Fang needed to end, at least the terrorist branches anyways, and his reasons for ending Salem's group was... obvious. There were a few key agents in her group that _could_ become something more in prospect, and it was the same for Ozpin's group, but tackling _who_ were the perfect candidates for joining the organisation was challenging. He could count the amount of people who knew about the locations of the Relics on one hand, and he could count the number of people who'd want to take on a goal like this on two.

Well, there was _one_ idea neither Salem or Ozpin would expect, but that needed to be sorted out another time.

He wanted to deal with some corpses, first.

* * *

It took only a few minutes to bury the bodies into the decaying ground; it took his hands and a spade to do it, but he managed. Jaune couldn't count how many times he stared at a corpse with white eyes staring into his, how decayed they all look, and how much of the flesh was eaten by the maggots. It was something that never became easier to imagine; and, for anyone who found it easy to do so was someone else.

Jaune couldn't remember how many times his heart broke when the stare of a child bored into his eyes — or, when a baby was amongst the group with scars amongst (his or her) body. Because, god, who would ever do this? Who would hurt so many people, no matter their age, because of some fucking goal they had? How could a child grow up to be someone so... sick in the head? It took a few deep breaths to keep his emotions from overwhelming him, as there was no way in hell he'd lose himself to Gamer's Mind of all things.

But seeing all of this killing, torturing, and suffering made him want to turn Gamer's Mind on forever. To never feel any pain, to never feel conflicted about what had happened and to never feel the pain of burying people. It's just... he couldn't keep it out of his head.

There were words to describe someone who had lost a loved one: widow; orphan; the last brother or sister, but there were no words necessary to describe how it felt to bury a child. An innocent person, someone with hopes and faith in an unforgiving world, taken from their loved ones because the world was _that_ sick. There's... just no word to describe it. There are no words to describe the pain of burying a child, and specifically there is none to label their new, lifelong status. If you lose a spouse, you're a widow; if you lose a parent, you're an orphan. But what about when you lose a child?

How can you name something you can't comprehend? Something so horrible, disgusting and disgraceful? Something so...

Jaune took a few deep breaths, and rubbed his eyes.

Death was something he had never been afraid of, really.

In life, you lived in a world where you could do a lot of things. You could work towards one out of many other jobs, whether it was becoming president of a country or being a simple postman. In a world like Earth — something he missed about it, too — you didn't have to worry about things like semblances, aura, and the Grimm. And you could live a life of conflict, happiness, peace, war, but there weren't any powers that went beyond what was human.

It was something he'd always miss.

But, if there was one thing that'd always keep being a constant in any life or reality, it was death. Standing in front of a grave became something that'd never stop happening, well, unless every single person died at the same time. In that case, nobody would be there to stand and think about what could've been, or why they did the things they did. And in a way, it was ironic how even a Gamer could die, no matter how powerful they became in the end. As tough as it ended up being to admit Jaune knew that he could die any moment, Gamer powers or not. And, maybe, just maybe, death reminded him of something.

To always be grateful for everything you have.

And maybe this was why he was still bothered to work for this plan. He wanted to turn Remnant from hell into a haven, and if it meant killing disgusting monsters to get there, then he'd do what was needed. And he was grateful for everything, he really was, but this wasn't _enough._ Remnant needed to change, and Salem needed to _die._ This place was filled with corruption, political or natural, and he needed to clean it all up because he couldn't take the idea of _watching_ people die anymore. So, if it meant double-crossing Cinder, killing anyone who got in the way of peace, and stopping people who were beyond powerful then it'd be done because this change had to happen.

It needed to happen.

But, it was clear that he needed to stop being an idiot. He had followed Cinder's orders down to the last letter, and he was over blaming Cinder for everything even though he chose to join her group. He couldn't whine and complain about everything, talk about how everyone around him was entirely at fault, because that's just hypocritical.

First off, rushing into a mission was a major no. He couldn't do that anymore; this situation is in a stage where everything starts to count. The Breach was coming up, soon, and from there he'd begin to sabotage Cinder's operation. RWBY could just get the credit for stopping the train, and using explosives was not necessary (because that'd collapse the whole mountain and possibly awaken the Grimm Dragon, and it's an utter waste of resources) so there was that.

Secondly, he couldn't lose control over his emotions. The reason why fighting Ruby the last time was such a disaster was because he'd lost it, and now Ruby knows who he is. Well, WBY and Ozpin definitely do by now, and they're not holding back so what's the point of letting things get to him? Perhaps, Gamer's Mind could be used a _little._

Third? Develop skills quickly, especially medical skills. This is an obvious no-brainer for any Gamer, really, because if you couldn't heal yourself then you're fucked. Aura is ridiculously useful but when it breaks, that's when you need to take medical skills into consideration.

Fourth? Start forming an organisation, and find members. He had already thought this through.

And the fifth one? Use the upgraded weapons, and start using dust. The new versions of the weapons make the previous ones look ridiculous; but, that's because the previous models were standard ones. The new versions are weapons crafted via a high blacksmithing level, so it was obvious why the upgrades would make the weapons way better. As for dust? Dust is incredibly versatile; you can use ice. Ice for slippery slopes, fire for burning people or buildings, electricity for shocking people, gravity for obvious reasons... seriously. Gravity dust. Just, why did he not use it again?

Jaune sighed.

The second-to-last one? Completely remodel his fighting style, or at least give it more variation. If there had been something obvious in his fighting style, it's that he had been limited to only practising the style taught by his father and Juniper. Considering his Gamer's Body, though, it should be substantially easier to practise fighting styles and figure something out. Besides, wasn't Jaune Arc a good dancer? Capoeira is just begging to be used.

Speaking of which, why is Juniper in the organisation? Was she trying to hunt down Torchwick or Junior, and Cinder ended up involved? There was something... strange about that. He wouldn't ask, for now, but there is no way Cinder could've just decided to bring in _two_ Arcs for a laugh. Something happened with Juniper, and it worried him.

He'd deal with it later.

The last one was to be proactive and not reactive. Seriously, Cinder has been driving the entire situation, to be frank. The only actions he'd been doing lately involved Cinder's assignments, and the last thing he had done involved Cinder ordering him to infiltrate the Vault. And, you know what? Maybe, he'd become a higher-levelled person if he went into situations that rewarded tons of EXP. Robbing places, defeating tough Grimm, doing the craziest objectives... it goes on. If he was going to be the guy who everyone thought as the evil criminal known as Rat, then he may as well live up to the title because there's no going back for him. He's a criminal, now, and he's planning to stop Cinder.

That's it.

Before Jaune walked away, he placed flowers on each and every grave, standing for a minute of silence.

Exactly like the people who were standing for a minute of silence to respect those who lost their lives because of him.

And so, Jaune turned away, walking with a determined look on his face.

* * *

 ** _Reviews & Responses_**

* * *

 _ **Clutchvm:**_ I already had these chapters done a while back, so it wasn't like I decided to write two chapters in one day lol. Thanks for reading so far in!

 ** _Guest:_** I think most people would act a bit irrational if they came upon that scenario in the previous chapter, but yeah he went wild holy shit.

 ** _GamehunterMC:_** He pretty much had a purpose since day one, but not one that'd keep him all the way to the end. But, yeah, it's cool to see him have a purpose and not flail around because "Gamer powers command me to stop the main villain!"

* * *

So, uh, you might be wondering why there's a gap between the top section and the bottom section, but it's because I wanted to separate the short answers from the long answers. The long question answers have an in-depth analysis of what the question involves and complicated answers. You can read it for your own curiosity, but whatever it's up to you lol.

* * *

 ** _Shattering:_**

Maybe I haven't read the chapter enough times, but when does he get the idea of committing genocide? Sure, he says he wants to be the last monster, but that doesn't mean he wants to commit _genocide_. This guy has never wanted to kill an innocent since day one, and his goal is to save innocent people even if it means doing horrible things and masquerading as a criminal. Committing genocide, even if he's morally ambiguous now, is a step way too far.

I mean, I can see why you think he's bat-shit crazy but hear me out. Here's what happened to him during the fic so far (a simple reminder since we've all read the chapters but it's to support my argument).

* Dies, losing his family, and replaces Jaune Arc.

* Gets constantly reminded that he's 'Jaune Arc', NOT his original identity.

* Constantly gets nightmares about losing the handful of people he actually has a connection with.

* Forces himself to join Cinder's organisation to stop Cinder's operations.

* Is ordered to perform crimes that slowly scale up the fucked up meter, slowly seeing how messed up Remnant really is.

* Has to fight Jaune Arc's friends, almost kills Blake, and starts upping his crimes.

* He's forced to kill Tukson, who is objectively innocent, and everything starts getting to him.

* Watches White Fang members kill humans, even children.

* Watches a ex-scientist torture people, revealing that he has killed people of all ages and was experimenting on them.

* And soon, he's going to find out that his actions caused deaths, and that everyone's holding a minute of silence for them.

Say what you want, but you can't tell me that a person can go through all of that and not have a MASSIVE change. No matter what he does, he ends up hurting innocent people for the sake of 'saving Vale', even Remnant keeps putting him down over and over again. He never wanted to be a criminal in the first place but it just snowballs on him. Even with the Gamer's Body, he feels helpless and he keeps on having nightmares over this. He's constantly reminded of who he is now, he feels like he's failing Tukson's promise (which was a slap in the face for him anyways), and he's constantly reminded of how fucked up Remnant is.

Again, I don't think each one on their own was enough to prompt Jaune's character shift, I just think that in combination with everything else, not to mention some additional emotional baggage from the Arcs, seeing all of this was enough to cause a major paradigm shift in Jaune's mind. I think life constantly kicking Jaune while he was down caused his faith in others to slowly erode away, but what happened with the ex-scientist was enough to make it _shatter._

Obviously, a change in philosophy is going to cause a person's long-term goals to change, but there seems to be small amount of people who don't realise how it felt for Jaune. The present Remnant, to him, looks like hell. And he already explained this by saying that everyone dies, everyone is selfish, and that he was the one who needed to end the conflict. The racism displayed by others towards the Faunus reinforced this belief, and ironically, the actions of the White Fang did so too. He knows there is no right ideal, no absolutes, and is no longer the coffee-loving guy RWBY/NPR have come to know.

Jaune's goal went from "stop Cinder from destroying Vale" to "stop the cycle of suffering present in Remnant and achieve peace", that is a massive change. And, see, this is where things get tricky. Jaune's drive to get the relics/achieve peace is this strange fusion of selfishness and selflessness, created by the context of "I want this world to be in peace, but I need it to be in my own image." As I said, the character development for him is absolutely ridiculous, and seeing him go from "i like weapons, i'm a whiner, i like weapons, and i love dangerous situations" to "I want to change the world, and achieve peace in my own image" is fucking crazy.

Like, holy shit crazy.

That's pretty much it. For now, anyways.

* * *

 ** _TheSetupMage:_**

Before I go into talking about the Gamer as a character, I'll say that my interpretations of the character can be entirely different to your interpretation or another interpretation, and the way he acts can be seen in entirely different ways. I can see where why people get annoyed with his actions, thinking that they're 'stupid' but there are reasons for this. This is a bit of a long answer but if it explains his behaviour then oh well.

At this point in the fic, the Gamer is a different person from the guy who'd spam Gamer's Mind at any moment. He's less terrified of people as strong as Cinder because he's used to their presence, and having to deal with the absolute cluster-fuck that is his situation contributed to that. If you look at what went on in the flashbacks (the italic sections at the top) and the events in general, you'd think that his psyche would take a toll but at the same time he'd get used to the circumstances. What he goes through is fucked up and it eventually leads up to what happened the previous chapter.

Now, what would happen if the protagonist used Gamer's Mind constantly?

Gamer's Mind, as we know, is a skill that "blocks" out your emotions. That concept is terrifying, so unlike many Gamer protagonists, he isn't okay with the idea of being utterly emotionless even if it's designed to be an advantage for the player. Imagine if the protagonist was at the start, they use Gamer's Mind, and their emotions just... cancel out. They do something that is absolutely horrendous, something they wouldn't do if they didn't use Gamer's Mind, and then turn off Gamer's Mind. A person's emotions would just release all at once; overwhelming pretty much anyone except the mentally strongest of people.

So, what would the Gamer do? Use Gamer's Mind again to avoid this emotional conflict and continue levelling up. They become stronger, but their emotions force them to use Gamer's Mind all the time and it just _wrecks_ their emotional/mental health. At the end-game they become so fucked up that they commit the worst of actions casually in Gamer's Mind. Now, imagine if they took the Gamer's Mind off.

Yeah, they'd be torn apart.

If anything, if the Gamer used Gamer's Mind now then he'd probably use it as a crutch. Looking back at chapter... 18, right? Yeah, Chapter 18, the guy decides to not drink alcohol. Some people just have a smoke or a sip and then later they're hooked; and that's mainly why he doesn't use Gamer's Mind. If he does, he'll depend on Gamer's Mind 24/7. Only way he'd ever use it would be if he needs to use it.

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 48_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _MP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _SP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/41,880_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 3/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 98/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 4/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 52 [60]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 54 [62]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 55 [60]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 42 [47]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	26. 26 - Second Interlude - Juniper Arc

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 _ **Second Interlude - Juniper Arc**_

It was amazing how much things changed, and it was amazing how much they didn't.

Proving that old habits did in-fact die hard, she'd quickly rise up from her bed to check if Jaune was freaking out over a nightmare before going to sleep herself. It was an old tendency, a tendency born from the memories of helping her sisters through life—but it was long since outdated. Even if she did nothing at all, she knew her sisters would be fine, and seeing them become the strong huntresses they were today proved that.

But, she had checked on them anyway, well, the sisters who needed her help.

Sapphire had fallen asleep with enviable ease. The only sign she was at all put off by being back in her bed was when she'd wake up and ask her to help. That was when she was little, and well, things changed when she became a huntress. And despite her sarcasm and dark humour earned from bloody missions, Sapphire wasn't all-that disturbed. And she couldn't help but wonder how everyone managed to deal with the memories of their missions, really. A horrible mission was no laughing matter; and, these kinds of missions had put many people out of service temporarily.

When she came into Amethyst's room, however, purple crystals seemed to spark in the room. At first, she thought it was because Amethyst couldn't control her semblance at the time, but it was because the light helped her sleep. She could count on her hands the number of times Amethyst slept in the dark without freaking out, and most of those times were before she almost lost her entire team to two Golaiths. She remembered the times when Amethyst looked around her, almost expecting the Golaiths to suddenly appear and wreak havoc. And it broke her heart seeing one of her strongest sisters go through that pain, but... it made her stronger. And even Amethyst admitted she wouldn't be as a strong of a huntress if it weren't for that 'wake-up call' as Amethyst called it.

But that was a long time ago and she knew better. Despite the hardships that had been born from their missions, they'd always worked together—and she was thankful for everyone's will to never give up and how that will kept them alive. Putting her hand on the banister, Juniper sighed, and her eyes darted to the empty bed behind the open door opposite to her room.

Jaune.

His bed was still empty, even though it was approaching midnight. She wasn't worried, knowing that Jaune was capable of dealing with his own problems, but it had been hours since he'd left. The initial concern for him eventually passed; for, Jaune knew what to do if things went to hell. And another thought suggested he'd come back when the storm was over; but, there'd been no sign of him since his departure. It was an old feeling, not knowing where he was or when he'd come back.

But then, this entire month had been strange. She didn't have the chance to talk about the situation; but, it was still hard to wrap her head around it. Her brother was the Rat, one of the greatest thieves in Vale's history. Her brother was working with people like Neo and Roman—the latter being his temporary _killer_ — as some kind of secret member. He was tangling with the White Fang and terrifying figures like—of all people—Cinder Fall. And now he was known as one of Vale's bloodiest men, having been responsible for the deaths of many VPD members, changing Vale from a peaceful haven into the world of paranoia it now was.

It was a lot to take in, but she understood the gist of it well enough. Her little brother had grown up, just like the rest of them had, and he'd gotten stronger. Even if she struggled to see him as the brother she'd once known; she still cared for him. Even if Jaune no longer was the smiling, awkward, adorable boy he'd come to known, she'd always love him. But... it was hard to take in the fact that Jaune was a far different person, it really was. It was like someone replaced her brother, turning him into the Rat itself, the ideal. And that ideal was a terrifying one; one she'd never want to know.

But... she was sad, too. An odd feeling, especially for how conflicting it seemed, but one that was prevalent nevertheless. She'd never wanted this kind of life for him—and had hoped— he'd find something else to look into in life. There were lives that, perhaps, weren't as dramatic as being a criminal, but which certainly made a person happier in the long run. Frankly? It was a shame, really, that Jaune became one of Torchwick's strongest henchmen. Wasn't he even considered a henchman at this point? Probably not; Cinder found him to be a highly-valued criminal.

And it just... she just couldn't help but wonder: was Jaune really that malevolent on the inside? Was there some part of him that made him want to do this, to hurt others for the sake of a personal goal? This personal goal wasn't just anything... it was something else. And judging on the fact that Jaune actually rode a Bullhead into the skies, participated in a massive dogfight between the Grimm and the VPD, _crashed a Giant Griffon into Mount Glenn_ and still wanted to participate in this either showed a worrying enthusiasm for crime or a goal that made him need to go to such lengths.

And you don't live in a life of crime without losing something, no matter what. It doesn't matter how strong you are, how smart you are, or how devious you are — you will lose something if you play the game long enough. It was just a matter of when and what. Eventually someone or something goes wrong, and the biggest secret, one that is hard to swallow for many, is this: it doesn't have to be your fault. You don't have to be at fault, the one to make a mistake, the person who fucks it all up. It could be some average minion, your boss, your boss's boss, but it could be anyone. And that one mistake could mess you up, completely ruin any chance you have of succeeding in your plans, just because of _one_ mistake. You could execute your plan perfectly; but if someone fucks it up? It's over. And it doesn't even have to be someone else, it could just be reality being ruthless, or maybe some idealistic kid who found it appropriate to try and stop you.

And sometimes, you don't even need to be involved to lose something.

She closed her eyes and pushed the memories away, a sigh climbing up her throat. As she did, though, she couldn't help but worry for her little brother. She wondered how long it'd take for something to happen to him; but, she had a feeling something did happen.

Perhaps something already had, and she couldn't help but think it was true. He'd been on that mission; the one where he had to infiltrate _Vale's Vault_ as a means of distraction. But, he already told her about the mission in itself, but he only told her what the mission was for. Not what actually went down; and, that worried her. When someone went through a horrible mission, one thing they'd do is _never_ tell anyone what happened during the mission. It took Amethyst ages to tell anyone about what happened, and she ended up as an emotional mess when she did.

Or was she over-thinking things? Jaune didn't seem to freak out when she was around, but she did the same with him. The last thing she'd do is ever freak out in front of him; and perhaps, this was the same with Jaune. He didn't want anyone to know of his invulnerability, his stress, because it someone could exploit his emotions and make him reckless. They'd all done this at one point—shoulder everything themselves because it would hurt less than make the others bear any of the weight. She understood that, she did, but...

She was torn from her thoughts as the lights changed. It was a subtle movement, something perhaps most wouldn't notice, but upon concentrating for a few seconds her world became startlingly loud, and she bit her lips. She could feel sound thrum in her ears; she felt almost like she was falling in a endless world of sounds, as sound pushed towards her, the wailing broken only by the sounds of dark shapes and shadows—people, trees, buildings. It was too much to truly track, but the greatest source of noise was a few steps away, and it was getting close to her floor, close to her room.

Close to her.

An instant after the sensation hit home, she swung around, her eyes becoming glassy as she did so. She kept an iron-clad control on her powers; for, if she chose to unleash it then the entire area around her would be in pieces. No, if anything, it'd kill hundreds of people and scar Vale because it was _that_ strong. And for a moment, however, she considered opening it further, to unleash a flood of power that'd erase the intruder—

But, with a single thought, she bit down on her thumb. And with that bite, the flood of power from before simmered down into a shadow of what it once was, before completely disappearing into a lullaby of silence. She wasn't the little girl who could overwhelm her opponents with air and sound without any control, simply attacking without any finesse or strategy. As she always did, she took a deep breath and held back the power, focusing so that only a little bit would pass out.

Drawing back her power, she released a sigh of relief. The power smoothed itself into the familiar pattern she felt around her body, and upon focusing harder, she felt the wailing disappear. Jaune appeared by her door just after; but, Juniper hid her exertion and put on a normal face.

"Jaune," she greeted quietly, "Welcome back."

He didn't seem surprised to see her.

"Sorry for being late," Jaune replied with a sigh. "I went to Junior's bar for a dance; since, I haven't danced in a while. Going to bed late?"

She nodded slightly, watching him closely. As far as she could tell, he didn't look any different from before, but there was something... different about him. He just felt different, but it was difficult to pin down what it was.

"There was nothing on," she said at last. "We were discussing about the plans for phase two; but, nothing else happened. And you?"

"Same with me," Jaune answered back, shrugging. "I didn't interact with any of the girls, and it's not like I'm in the mood for things."

She thought back to the days of dancing in bars with her teammates, of having drinks in the scorching days and the frigid nights. Mistral was crazy place for drinks; and, Vale had nothing on those drinks. Days without fighting, conflict, and stress or anything else and yet it had been no time at all had passed when her team reached Vale again. She looked at him once.

"Fair enough," she told him, slowly making down the stairs and into the living room. "You'll be fine, though? You're sure?"

I'm sure," Jaune responded and she took a seat on the sofa, watching her for only a few moments before joining her. His amusement was slight but it was gone as he stared, seemingly relaxed. "After the cluster-fuck that was dealing with the VPD and that annoying Grimm I crashed straight into a mountain, I'm pretty fine. And whatever happens, I'll be able to make a few backups... so I'll be fine."

Even now, this close and searching, she couldn't help but feel like there was something off about him. No, that wasn't true; it wasn't a new presence, per se, but there was something about him. Something about Jaune seemed... quiet. It seemed Jaune had grown substantially in power, as if he just became far stronger than ever before in that mission. Jaune's eyes seemed to convey a tired, but determined look. And he was becoming subtle; once, she could tell his emotions on the spot but now? Jaune seemed to have learned a few things as a criminal.

Of course, she could still read him, but this felt off. The strange thing about all of this was the fact, that, this development happened over a _single_ mission. If this was his semblance, how strong could he become? What were his limits? And did he know of his semblance? Because having the ability to rapidly develop under dire circumstances was a frightening semblance; and, it did show off its work. It really did. He was there, his aura simply blending into the environment around them, and it just felt... calm. Calm, focused, concentrated, quite different from the occasional jump it had. Even searching as she was, his aura felt tranquil like as if the clouds were calmly raining down, like it was strong but calm. But now...

She followed his gaze and stared out into the night outside their windows, wondering how much had and hadn't changed. Here they were again, the oldest and the youngest, so far apart in age yet so close in understanding.

"You've gotten better, Jaune," she spoke suddenly, his gaze not tearing away from the VPD building outside. But though a flicker of emotion passed in her eyes, he didn't lose any finesse in control, almost as if he'd been expecting this to happen. "I'm proud of you."

"Aw, cheers," Jaune said, shooting her a glance of amusement. "I'd say I'm proud of you, too, but that's been obvious from the beginning."

She snorted, putting a hand on Jaune's shoulder and watching him take a deep breath in response, making her hide a look of concern.

"We didn't have a chance to talk about what happened, earlier," She brought up after a long moment of consideration, "Can I say something?"

He leaned back, resting his elbows on the back of the sofa, simply looking at her thoughtfully.

"We're doing a lot of dangerous shit, aren't we?" She asked, giving a quiet sigh. "You act like it's nothing, but..."

He sighed but didn't answer.

"It must be an important thing," she continued after a moment of silence. "To want to bear everything on your own and protect everyone even if it hurts. I guess I don't have much right to call you out on it, so... I won't. I won't tell you to stop, as long as you're sure you'll be okay. If you are, I'll trust you to deal with the situation."

She looked at him, and saw him considering her words. She'd expected a quick answer, just like Jaune would've done before the incident, but he seemed to be considering her words carefully. She was glad about that, at least, since it meant he wasn't going to dismiss her words, but it reminded her how much of a change he went through.

He wasn't the same after the incident, he never had a chance to be the same.

"What if I was doing this for a long-term goal?" He asked, tone musing and curious in equal measure. "What if it was something I didn't know will turn out okay but was too important to not try?"

"Then if you were in danger, I'd do anything to make sure you lived through it," She answered. "Even if it cost me my limbs, I decided on that after you left."

He sighed again and gave her a small smile.

"This is why I never want to call others for help," He informed her before tapping the arm of the sofa. "I guess I'll have to find a way to deal with everything on my own, then."

She chuckled, prompting Jaune to look at her with an amused gleam in his eyes.

"I'd say something about that not being the greatest of mindsets," She began. "But, you can't depend on others all the time, you know? Just remember that... I'm still here. Even if everyone else is either away from Vale or looking for us, I'm still here. Even after you lost your memories, you're still my brother, and I'm still here."

"I know," He replied with a sad ring in his voice. The smile on his lips faded, but the expression turned into a frown. "I'm still... here, you know. Even if I'm not the strongest person to ever live—a title I'd never get—I'm still strong enough to be here for you. Whatever happens, if you need my help, you'll know I'll be there."

"It'd be really awkward to be saved by my little brother, but... who knows what'll happen." She chuckled. "But, I understand."

They were silent for a minute and then she sighed, rubbing her eyes before speaking.

"If something happens to you," She started only to pause. "If you find yourself in danger as Rat—"

"The Arc Family won't be endangered for it," He promised, his bloodshot eyes meeting her own. "I won't let my choices ruin our family."

She frowned at him and shook her head.

"I didn't mean it like that..."

"I know," Jaune whispered with a sad smile on his face. "But, what I've done is unacceptable. I'm a killer, Jun. When I flew up in the air with the Bullhead, watched people die because of the Grimm, I knew it was my fault. If I hadn't launched myself into the skies... the negativity wouldn't have attracted the Grimm. And even then, I'm one of Vale's most prominent criminals, now. When someone mentions Rat, everyone gets terrified. The civilians get paranoid, they get worried... people are _scared_ of me, Jun. They're terrified, angry, and paranoid because as soon as Rat appears, everyone panics. People, on the inside, are animals. If they find out about me being related to the Arcs, our family will be treated like shit."

Jaune looked away from her, seeming ashamed from his actions. "Which is why... I'm sorry. When I woke up from the incident, you must've wanted to spend time with me. Dad, you, everyone else... you all must've wanted to be there for me. And when I ran away from you all, abandoned my friends at Beacon, and became one of Torchwick's henchmen... it must've been an insult. It must've felt like I spat at everything you gave me.

She sighed and put a hand on his shoulder. "Kid, it's obvious. You don't want to do this; and, I get the feeling you're doing this because you can't afford to not do it..."

Jaune refused to look at her.

"I can't force you to stop being Rat; because, that's your choice. But, kid, these are the consequences of doing things you have to do. Sometimes, in a world like this one, you have to do bad things and you will hate yourself for doing them. I can't remember how many times my team had to make a tough choice, whether to abandon ship or something worse, but I remember how many times we've felt like shit because of what we did. You're doing this because you want something to happen, something that'll help the situation, and if this is what it takes... then you have to do this. Okay?"

Jaune nodded and leaned his head back, to stare at the ceiling.

"I think you're right," He said abruptly, and there it was. That look. The look when Jaune had a plan in his head, and _really_ wanted to pull it off.

"And you're sure that you still need to do this?" She asked, concerned. "Why?"

"A lot of things seemed to be pointing towards the idea that I need to do this," He said. "I'm too far into this; and well, you're here too. And... I have everything to lose if I don't do this. I think we both know that."

Ah. That explained his logic on why he had to do this. But, he didn't say _why_ he wanted to be a criminal in the first place.

It'd be something to ask about later.

"Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah," He nodded. "If I have to be a criminal to make sure things go smoothly, then I'll do it. It doesn't mean I'll do the most horrible thing ever; well, it's a necessary thing to do."

She nodded slowly, still watching him.

"Are you going to deal with the kids, then?" She asked. "I guess you probably won't need too much help, but..."

He shrugged.

"Probably do some independent study, get some skills, and then deal with the kids." He said. "Not to sound self-deprecating, but I don't think I can deal with two teams at once. One team? Sure, if I have some help... but even then things are risky."

"Ah," She said. "I hope you succeed, regardless."

"I will," Jaune swore. "No matter what it takes, I'll figure something out. That's why I've been training so hard, lately."

She smiled at him and nodded, inclining her head towards him.

"Can you show me?" She asked, her curiosity getting to her. "Your full power, I mean? I want to see how far you've come."

For the first time in their conversation, Jaune showed excitement. And well, he was no longer hiding himself. Then it was gone and he nodded, standing.

"If you're thinking about a fight then I'm admittedly curious, too." He asked with a grin. "Unless you mean a demonstration? Frankly, I prefer the former."

"I'm sure we'll fight another time," She said, shrugging a shoulder with a smile. "It's right before bed time, and well, I use my powers on the worst of people and the Grimm."

He nodded again, seeming to understand and accept that before walking outside. At once, Jaune ensured the silencers were on his weapons, and speaking of which... they were different than before. His revolvers seemed to have an evolved structure, like as if they were supposed to transform into another type of weapon. And wait, is that—

"Is that shock dust on your daggers?" She asked with a small amount of surprise, and after a few seconds, her face was normal.

Jaune smiled. "Well, after a few battles, I realised my... combat skills were lacking. Well, my skill-set is lacking, but..."

Juniper grinned. "You want me to train you, don't you?"

"Well, if it means being good enough to keep up, then yes." Jaune answered with a nod; and, she shot him an amused glance.

"Ready?" He asked, lifting a hand.

"Yeah," She said. "Though I've had a bit of an idea from your fights, I think I need to see you at your best. I don't exactly know how far you've come since, well, a few months ago."

"Of course," He said, though he sounded amused. "I don't mind showing off a little, though I can't show a lot since it's a bit late."

"Why don't I go first?" She offered. "It's only fair, since you've never seen me demonstrate my skills seriously. And if Vale's a bit empty, then it's a good chance for me to show you a little of what I can do."

"Sure. I've always wondered about how strong you were," He gestured for her to go ahead—and at once, she stepped ahead with waves emitting from her hands, and in her two hands was a silver hammer with a thrumming core.


	27. 27 - Breach

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Sometimes, people change the world after it shatters their very being."_**

* * *

 _Nicholas was seated in the shade of his favourite tree. The tree, once vibrant with colourful leaves, became a home for dead plants and growing weeds. Juniper wasn't sitting next to him, curled up beside him and flipping through a book. Jaune wasn't there to practise his skills in front of him, nor was Juniper criticising Jaune's fighting techniques and strategy._

 _It was childish and silly, to remember such a thing, but it was a memory Nicholas couldn't get over. He loved his children, and even though their mother and the rest of his daughters were all-across the globe, constantly busy, he knew they were thinking about them too._

 _Nicholas felt alone._

 _He felt worthless._

 _And, in his heart, he felt anger._

 _Two of the people who he'd been trusted to care for were gone; and, it wasn't like life didn't decide to take more away from him: Jaune's memories; Juniper and Jaune; and the man kept taking more. A scowl smouldered Nicholas' face, and as he stood up, his fists shook._

 _And so many people had died because of a madman, a person convinced that decimating everything in their path was worth it. Hell, even one of his old friends suffered because she lost a cousin. He'd never forget the look on her face during the minute of silence._

 _Even through all of his career, Nicholas had never seen such a haunted look. A look so hopeless; it might've seemed ridiculous to another person. But, her cousin was the only living relative she had._

 _And now, she was the only person alive out of her whole family._

 _Within the silence, Nicholas grabbed his chains, and started packing his things._

 _Maybe it was time to speak to Rat, himself._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

Jaune grinned as he flew through the air between buildings, going weightless for a moment at the apex of his arc. His line launcher fired, catching another building as he began falling, building momentum into a quick swing. Moving parallel to the building, he felt his feet land on the glass surface of the building and latched onto it with mana as he ran around the corner and leaped into open air. Jaune's excitement roared in his chest, his heart pumped rapidly, and he knew his hands were shaking from the frigid air. As he caught sight of his destination, his line launcher fired again to clasp onto another building, slowly decelerating for a soft landing.

"And that trip reminded me to get a hundred of these line launchers and put them into my inventory. Somehow, though, the VPD didn't manage to follow me."

Pulling himself from his thoughts since he had business to deal with, he landed down on the ground. Thanks to his aura, his legs didn't break and he wasn't screaming outside of the building like a drunk crow, or something. Now that he thought about it... seeing a drunk crow of all things would be amusing.

Jaune chuckled, taking a steadying breath and raising one gloved hand to knock on the door. "Ah well, let's get this over with."

The door opened a moment later, Mercury's grey-haired form greeting him unlike the usual Emerald, which prompted him to raise an eyebrow. "Beacon must be making you all busy," he mumbled to himself but Mercury heard it regardless. And Mercury gave a slight shrug, chuckling underneath his breath and smirking a moment later. "All the crime must be making you busy, you sure you have anything else to do?"

Jaune rolled his eyes. "Of course! There's sobbing my eyes out in my house, there's dramatic scheming, and there's practising a villainous speech that'll terrify my opposition!" Then, upon looking at Mercury's amused face, Jaune spoke with a dry tone. "There's also drawing, and some other shit that'll be really interesting to try—"

Mercury rolled his eyes and scoffed. "—I'll pass up the offer, thanks." He crossed his arms with an amused expression on his face. "Besides, don't you have _someone_ to talk to?" He suggested, and the two of them stood there within the short silence. With a chuckle from his mask, Jaune walked into the building and he closed the door behind them. "I'm already talking to someone." And with the shake of his head, Jaune walked away.

Mercury stood there with a frown, before walking away into the kitchen. And from there, the frown disappeared.

Meanwhile, Jaune walked down the bleak halls he was already acquainted with. They hadn't changed; really, and he supposed time didn't change them for the short-term. Perhaps, time was something that'd change everyone, like as if it was an inevitable stop-watch that'd keep ticking until things changed... but wasn't that false? Maybe, time was something that'd let them appreciate the lives they had, the people who were there with them, and the joys they experienced in it. And perhaps the people in the world made the world itself matter, not the other way around. The world changed people, turned them into the individuals they were today, but it was the same in reverse. Change wasn't just brought by the world; no, it was brought by people too. And perhaps—

Suddenly, Jaune stopped to calm his mental drive down.

Jaune coughed. Maybe, raising INT/WIS brought him a few disadvantages, after all. Jaune thought with amusement; for, it was strangely ironic to see that increasing a stat could bring him a disadvantage. Hell, perception seems to make it more difficult for him to deal with new sensations and stimuli, henceforth, he decided to focus on the other stats. Agility was an important one; far more important, speed allowed people to avoid attacks and run. That was all to say about agility, and well, dexterity was another example of an important stat. Making mistakes by incorrectly pulling off a series of movements was dangerous—and has killed many people—so, dexterity was high-priority on his list.

And was it not the same in real life? Say if you had the most intelligent person in the world fight against the strongest person in the world; who would win? Most people say that the smartest person would win, because, if you could think of the most options then you'd have enough plans to win. Of course, it'd be common sense to think of that as the answer, but there isn't really a right answer that focuses on the stats themselves. No, the right answer focuses on the _circumstances_. What if the fastest person in the world had no legs? What if the smartest person in the world had a lethal disease? What if the strongest person in the world wasn't mentally fit? These things, when taken into consideration, completely change the battle itself.

It's almost as important as the tone of the fight, itself. If you have a dragon fight against a knight, there is no emotion. The dragon is the bad guy, right? The knight is there to save the princess, stop the dragon, and stop the dragon from burning the village. But, what if the dragon fought the knight in self-defence? Or maybe, the dragon was there to protect the princess in the first place? Hell, what if the master was the princess? Then, the tone changes. The readers feel sorry for the dragon; because, it's the victim. But, maybe... maybe they saw the vulnerabilities of the knight, themselves. And from that point, the person who's watching this feels conflicted. Who do they trust? Who's the right? Who's the one they should support?

This was... whilst not in the exact terms, it was something he thought about. After his conversation with Juniper, he started to think about the repercussions of his actions. Knowing that he was the technical killer of so many people brought him shame; because, how could he not feel ashamed? If it weren't for his actions, well, they'd be alive. And knowing the fact that it was your fault, that you were the one responsible for their deaths, how could a person not feel shame over their actions?

Well, most people, anyway.

But only Juniper knew about his circumstances; well, his actual circumstances. Nobody in Vale except her knew about the short-term objective he had in his mind, and he didn't dare to tell anyone about his long-term objective (because only an insane person would say that they wanted the Relics) so that was that. In the eyes of Vale, itself, he was known as one of the most dangerous criminals in Vale's bloody history. Murders, thievery, lethal actions and dogfights, it didn't end from there. Nowadays, the tale of the 'Rat' was told to every kid, to never be like the guy himself.

And well, he couldn't help but find amusement in the irony of the purpose. A person who does crime deters the next generation from committing crime... except the people who will be either too stupid or rebellious to stop themselves. Now that he thought of it, people were always deterred from doing a certain thing when they were shown just how horrible it could be. It was a strange thing to take consideration for, but, he could always do the unthinkable as a final option. Nobody ever knows what could happen; and, in some cases it was the same with him.

Of course, he could sort his thoughts out and think about the situation, but he needed to deal with Cinder.

And from that moment, Jaune walked into Cinder's miniature office, decorated with colours of red, orange, and black. It was fittingly fire-themed; considering the nature of the owner themselves. Cinder's face was decorated with a callous smirk—as soon as he came in—and she already bored her eyes into his face. A small smirk arose, and with eyes on him, she crossed her legs.

"So," Cinder stated. "I heard you were informed of Beacon's circumstances by Emerald?" She asked, and in no short thought—

"I was." Jaune began and ended his statement with a neutral tone. "I can already picture you saying something like 'how dare you talk to one of my subordinates behind my back, let me go and set you on fire with my dust'." He joked, and Cinder was so surprised at Jaune's uncharacteristic moment that she chuckled, amusement dancing in her eyes.

Of course, he was serious after that. "My apologies, boss. Perhaps, the mission from before had—"

"—I've been given worse retorts, Mr. Arc." She waved dismissively. "You're doing your job. You're not messing things up like the idiots in the White Fang, and if I was annoyed? Well, I don't think I need to talk about what'd happen, right Mr. Arc?" Jaune nodded slowly; and, that prompted Cinder to give a business-like expression.

But, before Cinder could speak, Jaune walked to the largest table in the room. There were maps there, schematics of equipment including ships and what looked like some sort of new robot, even a detailed lists of ships in Atlas's navy. It looked like the navy, but they were airships—so really, it was a combined power of aerial force/navy military. Opening the box that contained some of the _appropriate_ files (the others that were too advantageous for Cinder stayed in his inventory) were placed onto the table. Some of the files were details like the schematics for Beacon, information about SDC's _actual_ Faunus labor policies, and they just painted dirt on the SDC and many other figures in Vale. "I went through the files, analysed them and checked. They're not fake."

"You managed to get these files from the Vault?" she asked, a reluctant note of impressed awe in her voice. "I was impressed when you managed to get in the Vault, but a job like that should've taken at least a month. And you did it in less than a week! A job like the Vault should've taken days to plan, and it did, but you managed to pull something of this magnitude in such short time..."

Jaune chuckled. "Getting into the Vault was an unique experience, or should I say it was incredibly exciting? It depends on the perspective, really."

"This is good," Cinder purred, molten gold eyes boring into his own with an intensity rarely seen from anyone else. "Very good. It seems trusting you with the task was the correct choice."

Jaune crossed his arms over his chest, frowning under his mask. "Right. Is there anything else to be done?"

 ** _[A quest has been updated!]_**

 ** _[Falls From Grace Are Never Elegant]_**

 ** _[By completing the seemingly impossible tasks she had set before you, you have garnered the confidence of Cinder Fall. Gain her loyalty, and possibly love in order to turn her from the path she has sworn herself to.]_**

 ** _[Success: Same rewards/this is the same quest but with an updated status.]_**

 ** _[Failure: Death, destruction, mayhem, quest unlock.]_**

 ** _[Time of failure will determine death toll.]_**

Jaune carefuly ignored the quest window as Cinder analysed the files present on the table; and, her eyes narrowed. "I'm curious. Were you always this talented at robberies?" She finished, fingers tracing one of the files about Beacon's schematics, which showed the structure of almost everything. Except the lowest floor of the building, that is.

"Why do you ask that? I'm only curious." He finished, and Cinder's molten gold eyes sent chills down his spine.

"It's just... strange. You were officially declared to be diagnosed with amnesia, but your skills suggest this is a lie." Cinder sipped from her glass of wine, and within the silence, Cinder hummed in her thoughts. "Did anyone teach you about crime? Were you trained to be a criminal?"

"Well, not exactly..."

Cinder raised an eyebrow, standing straight and humming speculatively between the table and Jaune for a moment. "Are you lying to me?" She didn't even need to change her expression; for, Jaune was already becoming serious.

"No." Jaune responded, shaking his head at the question. "I'm completely self-taught, and I can just swear on the whole thing that I'm telling the truth."

And within an instant, Cinder's eyes pierced into his. With a vicious smirk on her face, she gave him a short, brief nod.

Jaune sighed. "I swear, on the name of the Arcs, that I'm telling the truth. And I'm telling the truth because swearing your name on the Arcs with a lie leads to a guaranteed 'punishment'." Cinder paused for a brief moment, before deciding to nod at him again. "There. So, now what?"

Cinder's smirk returned in full force. "Oh, this is a job that will guarantee some rewards for a long time to come, assuming you're up to it and you're capable."

Cinder turned towards him, and with the click of a finger, Mercury and Emerald entered the room. They were collecting the files from the tables, and the two sent them a silent nod on the way out. And after looking at the two of them, Jaune turned to face her. "I'd say the evidence on the table speaks for itself, what's the job?"

"Ozpin has apparently lost some of his arrogance and is sending more teams out to apprehend you," She stated, subtly studying Jaune's reactions as she informed him of this. "And after the fantastic job with the Vault, one that impressed all of us, I've decided to let you have a chance at giving them a bigger show." She raised a perfect eyebrow at his silence, but waited regardless.

Jaune's eyes narrowed. "And do you want me to do anything else?"

Cinder, for a moment, had a subtle change of expression. But as soon as he saw it, she drew attention to the matter at hand. "Interesting. You're thinking about doing something else?" Cinder shot him a curious glance; pouring herself a glass of wine. "I don't see why you can't go for a greater objective, but this frame of thinking... it's dangerous."

"And this situation isn't dangerous?" He asked with a frown. "Being a criminal isn't exactly something you commit towards without risks."

"Life is full of risks, Jaune. Besides, aren't you a bit too deep to go back?" she asked, a chuckle working its way past her lips. "You've already gone from delivery boy to thief, and you've just went from thief to one of the greatest criminals in Vale. Besides, after the previous assignment, I don't think you're one to complain about risks."

 ** _[RIOT QUEST: Wreak Havoc]_**

 ** _[You've shown Vale once, and now you can show them twice. With the situation getting more dangerous, and opponents becoming stronger, sometimes you'll need to be involved with danger to improve. You can do this by yourself or do this with others, but regardless of your choice, your goal is to show Vale what they're messing with. Not only that, but perhaps, there'll be something more to this...]_**

 ** _[Ozpin isn't going to mess around, and you're going to enjoy a visit in Vale's tunnels.]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 150,000 EXP (depends on how well you do), increased closeness/confidence with Cinder Fall, increased confidence/reputation with Vale's Underworld, Rat's notoriety increases even more, Roman Torchwick/Neo's increased confidence/reputation, ? joins the situation. Increased reputation with the White Fang, increased respect from other criminals, decreased reputation with Vale/Ozpin/Beacon Academy.]_**

 ** _[Permanent lien revenue whilst apart of the organisation. Unlocks faction operations. Unlocks faction takeover campaign. Increased closeness with Cinder Fall, Emerald Sustrai, and Roman Torchwick.]_**

 ** _[Failure: Faction operations remains locked, faction takeover campaign remains locked. Punishment from Cinder Fall, decreased closeness with Emerald Sustrai, and Roman Torchwick. Possible arrest, possibly death, possible injury, decreased respect from other criminals, decreased reputation with the White Fang.]_**

 ** _[WARNING: A RIOT QUEST is a quest that's incredibly difficult, one that requires greater skill than usual at your level.]_**

In his mask, Jaune frowned. Why would Cinder want him to show off his powers? Why would she go for such an unsubtle, reckless, and dangerous move? Cinder was known for her subtlety, her incredible intelligence, and her manipulations skills were off the charts—

Oh.

 _Oh._

Who knew Cinder was such a devious bitch? See, he found it strange how he was always paired with Neo and Torchwick. It wasn't the former that prompted this suspicious—Neo wasn't the one for making people doubt others—but Torchwick had influence in spades. After all, he only needed to pull off countless robberies and many other crimes to make them fear him. And wasn't this the same with him? He and Torchwick were being used as the ideals for what Vale feared; and, fear was a negative emotion. Which meant—

"My apologies for what I'm about to ask, but why would you want me to show off?" Jaune asked, shooting Cinder a cautious glance. "I'm just curious, and well, showing off to Vale after the incident with the VPD is a bold move."

Smirking, Cinder gave a small nod acknowledging his question as she moved around the table before sitting on the arm of one of her chairs as he had earlier. With the fiery gaze boring into his eyes, she made it look a lot better than he could've done. "Don't lie to me," Cinder chided. "You're asking me because you've just realised why I want you to do this. Which is interesting behaviour, to be frank."

"So, then," Jaune raised a perfect eyebrow, sighing. "Am I just going to be used as an instrument for fear?"

Cinder hummed, considering the question as she eyed him. "Well, it depends. Roman and Neo had to be coerced into the position. You, on the other hand, seemed... afraid of me but that impression changed. Why is that? Part of me wonders if it's you forgetting your place or something else."

"No," He admitted, grabbing a glass and filling it with some water from the silver tap. "Dangerous things, people or objects, they're to be studied. Study it, learn how they function or work, and always make sure to give the appropriate respect. After all, well, everything can be studied."

Cinder watched as he sipped from the glass, before she pulled out a scroll and with her finger, manoeuvred through the screens. After a few seconds, a piano started to play in the back, and Jaune couldn't help but hum to it. "Anyways, as I was saying... things are meant to be studied. Analysing, no matter how terrifying, must be done to understand the analysed."

"And this is you studying me?" the woman asked, raising a perfect eyebrow in amusement. "Well, I'm sure your 'studying' helps you a lot at night."

Jaune didn't even register what Cinder had said. "I mean, studying is the best action, it's always the first action to commit towards when you're in a situation. Say if you're dealing with a situation that needs a solution, what do you do? You find the solution by studying, really. And, to be... Cinder, why are you looking at me like I just said something amusing?"

"You must like studying things a lot," Cinder admitted, shooting him an amused glance between him and the scroll. Pushing herself up from her chair, she stalked over to the opposite end of the table, stopping close enough that he could actually reach over to her. "However, I assure you that it isn't necessary to study all the time, it'll end up... distracting you a little too much."

Jaune blinked. "Wait, what were we studying?" He placed the mask down on the table and Cinder blinked, studying his face for a moment before laughing—an honest laugh, as opposed to her usual 'megalomaniac' laugh. "Boss, Cinder, could you please explain what's going on?" He asked, his eyebrows crunching in confusion and drawing another laugh from her before letting a sigh climb past his mouth. "Cinder?"

Getting her laughter under control, Cinder waved him off. "Don't worry about it, studying can be humorous once in a while. It's just best off to not study too much; the stress would take over." And, if Jaune took a longer time to finish analysing Cinder, he would've been able to tell that she was trying to not lose control. "Anyways, how's the new weapons?" From that moment, there was a subtle glint in her eyes.

"Let me guess, you heard the noises, didn't you?" He asked, and Cinder gave him confirmation. "My apologies, I shouldn't have—"

"I'm not going to burn you alive for augmenting your skills. Are you going to be inefficient with the new models?"

"Well, no—"

"And are you going to mess up your assignments because of them?"

"Of course not—!"

Cinder sipped from her glass. "There, issue dealt with. As long as you're efficient and capable with your weapons, I have no issues with your augmentations. Now, I think you have a certain team or two to deal with. Go, and don't hold back."

Jaune nodded, taking a final sip from his glass, setting it down on the table itself. And upon walking outside the building, Jaune couldn't help but feel nervous as he stared at the Bullhead near the Port.

It's time.

* * *

Jaune doesn't bother feeling bitter or lamenting fate or cursing others for his moment of weakness as he makes his way to Mount Glenn. He knows better. Knows who to blame.

For fuck's sake. If someone gets hurt because of him again—gets involved because of him-he'll... he doesn't know how, but he'll _kill_ those pieces of shit.

He hadn't planned that, he swore he didn't—RWBY wasn't supposed to get involved, everyone was supposed to stay away, to stay _safe._ He'd only intended to stop Cinder, preventing the cluster-fuck that was the Beacon attack, but he's made it worse. People were dead because of him, civilians, police officers, _innocents._ He hadn't meant to become so obsessed with being strong enough to protect others, and now... what's done is done. It's finished. Over. Jaune couldn't take back the lives lost during that aerial fight, nor could he stop remembering the people who died in the air.

Arcs might die before they break their words, but he wasn't an Arc. Not anymore. What kind of Arc promises to protect Vale but becomes responsible for murdering Vale's innocents? Its people? What kind of Arc claims to fight for peace, but chooses to initiate peace via violence? What kind of person criticises someone like Cinder Fall over megalomania but becomes a megalomaniac themselves? It's... it's pathetic.

Jaune Arc... no. He was Jaune. He was either a stupid person clinging onto the last of his faith in himself, in a weak attempt to cling onto hope or someone who's just doing things because there's no other purpose. His life focused entirely on stopping Cinder, stopping her plans, stopping Vale from becoming the bastion of Grimm it ended up being in the future. And what prompted this?

 _"All the crime must be making you busy, you sure you have anything else to do?"_

Jaune Arc was either a horrible liar or a foolish optimist. Probably both. Jaune isn't like that. Which is why he pulled the mask of what looked like a skeletal rat's face, yet it looked metallic at the same time. The mask had gripped his face so hard that it was hard enough to hurt, hard enough that common sense prevails and only a whisper of conscience is left to distract him as his Bullhead lands down on the soggy, damp grass that whistled underneath the gentle winds. For a moment, Jaune swore that he could feel his heart quake, but he couldn't give up. Not now. Not when he was _this_ far in his fight for Vale.

As he hurried ahead, Jaune felt his socks get wet from the water getting in his shoes, now damaged from the battles it went through. He heard his daggers cackle with electricity, since they were laced with shock dust, and the revolver on his back had turned into double-barreled SMG twins. And ironically, they had the exact same colour scheme as Pyrrha's armour did, inspired by the memory of Jaune Arc himself. His mask was cracked from the damage it'd taken over the battles, and there was still a massive scar on the top from the SDC incident.

It's funny, really. That statement made him decide—after a long consideration—that he wasn't going to give up on his plan to stop Cinder. Although he still felt the temptation of luring himself into an exciting chase, robberies, and the such... those things made him forget _why_ he was here. He was here to stop Cinder, to save Vale, and to stop Salem. The Relics were going to be a different matter entirely; since, they were needed to stop the last opponent on his list. And after everything, Jaune still felt the classic clamp in his stomach, the feeling of being scared and worried. For once, it was a relief to have those feelings.

It meant he was still a person.

As much as he hates to do this, he'll have to hope that RWBY stay out of trouble on their own without running into him. The next hour or so was going to be the most important hour of his second life, and he couldn't afford any doubts or distractions if he wanted to pull this off. His life, his existence, as Vale's Rat was committed to this.

And as Jaune walked into the site, he saw the bombs, the dust, and the trains in the gargantuan underground arena. Boxes of dust scattered within the train, and he couldn't stop counting how many people were loading the stuff on. His eyes darted around in a quick attempt to locate Roman, and if not him, Neo. Within a few seconds, he saw Roman talking with some of the White Fang, trading jabs and racial slurs like he was going to die if he didn't.

"We need to leave, now," he greeted quickly, lifting himself onto the back of the train beside Roman. The crime boss, thanks to the memories of before, doesn't even question his statement—he yells at the White Fang to start the train and get the hell out of there.

"Trouble?" Roman asked, turning on his lighter and smoking a cigar afterwards.

"Definitely will be soon," Jaune stated. "Ruby's not alone—she has her team, my old team, and Ozpin's sending Team CFVY in too. Hell, he's not fucking around anymore!" He said, thinking of Ruby who's been causing him more doubts than anyone else. The Blonde Bombshell. The Heiress. Belladonna. Hell, even Pyrrha. "Listen, we definitely need to either deal with the issue or we're done for!"

 _["You're a coward, Jaune. You say that I'm the one who's an embarrassment, that I'm doing everything wrong, but who ran away from the role of leadership?"]_

"And Red told you this?" Roman asked, disbelieving. "Is she an idiot? Is she—?"

"No, it wasn't her." Jaune supplied. "When I went in the Vault, I discovered documents that talked about Ozpin's plans, and he's been onto us since day one. He knows who I am, Roman. He knows about the 'Queen', hell, he's just sent reinforcements after he found out you dealt with Rubes!" He added. He doesn't enter the caboose until the train has accelerated long enough, and he's still tempted to look around in paranoia.

He doesn't. He doesn't even order the White Fang members to look. He's not sure of what's more terrifying: stopping the Breach being the right thing, or it being the wrong move.

 _["And you hurt me, Jaune. You ran away from me, my team, the rest of your friends, and everyone else!"]_

"Huntress, huh? And the whole lot, too?" Roman said, leading him to the front of the train.

"The ones we've been fighting since the beginning," Jaune added. He thought of Yang and that night at Junior's club, back then. "Think we can take them?" Their chances would be better if Emerald, Cinder, and Mercury were on the train but they were in Beacon.

He was supposed to be Cinder's second pawn for fear, and when she said that... it was all over for her. That was the moment when his mind clicked, when he realised what Cinder was eventually going to do to him. Kill him. Kill him, kill Roman, and Neo. Though he hadn't known Neo for long, Roman and him went back to the days when Ruby wasn't in Beacon. Hell, ages before that. He wasn't going to be Cinder's pawn, and it didn't matter if Cinder had a chance of redemption. She was too gone to come back from it.

He wasn't going to work with the White Fang, nor was he going to be used as a pawn. He wasn't going to hurt Vale's citizens, not like last time, and Juniper wasn't going to be stuck with Cinder. Not a chance in hell; and, he didn't need to promise as an Arc that he'd make sure of it. Besides, was he ever an Arc when Jaune Arc died a long time ago? Probably not.

Roman wasn't too concerned. "We have the White Fang and Atlas's weaponry," he said. "We have you, me, and Neo if it goes straight to shit. We can hold them off," he finished with a subtle tone. And at that moment, Jaune knew even _Roman_ was having doubts.

"We'll both head to the front, then, and make sure they're not going to aim for that area." Jaune stated, almost running at this point.

"You think they'll attack the front, first?" Roman asked, easily matching his pace. They could do that, to be fair, since the front didn't have much exterior weaponry. Only the middle sectors and the rear possessed the firepower; and, it was only him and Roman at the front. "Or, are you finally not trusting those animal friends of ours?"

"Do I have to remind you that humans are animals, too?" Jaune joked, but it was asking the question in an attempt to forget his nerves. Jaune's movements turned into a sprint. "Maybe, you should've studied more in biology." Jaune chuckled, and Roman's reaction made him laugh. Whether it was entirely because of Roman's face or the overwhelming adrenaline he felt was entirely up to speculation.

Roman rolled his eyes. "Right, and what about Neo?"

Jaune sighed. "Bring her to the front."

"Wait, why—?"

"—Roman, answer this question. Do you trust me?" Jaune asked, and Roman saw the serious frown within the cracks of his mask. And after a long time of consideration, Roman looked at him and then looked back at the train rooms behind them.

"Yeah," Roman admitted. "I guess, even though I'm stupid as fuck for trusting someone other than Neo, I guess I trust you." Roman looked at him with a frown, watching Jaune's eyes bore into his.

"Bring her to the front, and whatever I do next, don't stop me. Okay?" Roman silently nodded; and, turned his back to get Neo.

And after that, Jaune couldn't help but take his mask off. It dropped to the ground with a hard clang, but it didn't have the same force it once had. After all, he never really gave the original mask a do-over and well, it did hold some sort of nostalgic value for him. Meanwhile, Jaune couldn't help but hear the radio transmissions from his end, listening to the sounds of people screaming and gunshots.

"There's four—no, seven of them! Seven intruders on top!" a voice claimed on the radio, even as another train car detonated in the distance, unleashing roaring flames into the abyss behind them.

 _["Please, just stop doing all of this. Come back to Beacon with me, and we can forget all of this. We can go back to the times when we drank coffee, when you'd have a word battle with Weiss, or when you'd read books in the cafeteria..."]_

"Keep an eye out for someone with a scythe, they're incredibly quick!" Jaune proclaims into the mic. "Don't try to take them out close-quarters, keep them at a distance!"

"Understood!" The member claimed, even as gunfire roared in the transmission. There was no mistake for that being the sounds of machines firing off. Atlas machinery.

"Three of them just came down below," Roman warned in the transmission. "Neo's engaging Xiao-Long, and I'm dealing with Valkyrie and Ren in the car that's right between the middle and upper sectors." There's a muffled cackle of lightning in the distance.

By this point, he's almost at the lead car, finding only one person in the front. The person must've been the driver.

The driver looked at him, and at Jaune's nod, he walked off into the previous car. Jaune could hear the sounds of weaponry being brandished; and, he watched the train speed along the tracks.

"Paladin down!" Someone notified him in the transmission. "Some sort of corgi managed to take a paladin down!"

Nothing about Jaune's statement was fake. " _She_ brought a corgi along with her?"

"Well, it's a fucking corgi!" One of the remaining pilots stated. "Some reaper with a scythe just shot the entire thing down, and—shit! The Reaper's already rushing ahead with the Schnee!" Shoot them down, now! NOW-!" The transmission ended with a shout.

"All White Fang units, head down to the lower sectors! I repeat! All units get down there, NOW!" Jaune shouted down the transmission, and he could hear the collective sounds of obedience within the distance. Hell, he even heard the sound of a chainsaw. "Lieutenant! What's the status with the Schnee?"

"I'm fighting the Ice Queen, herself!" The Lieutenant answered, and Jaune couldn't help but chuckle when he heard the sound of an exclaimed "hey!" in the transmission. "It won't be long until she's split in half," the Lieutenant laughed. And Jaune couldn't help but sigh when he heard him laugh. People like him made this situation easier.

 _[And this time, he remembers Tukson. The man who didn't want to die, who ended up dying because of what he did. The last thing Tukson did was make him promise to be a good person.]_

 _["Stop them. Stop their plans - and save everyone. Stop Adam Taurus, these people, and whoever is leading them."]_

 _["Please."]_

"Are you sure you want everyone to head down?" Roman asked, a collection of clangs were heard, and Roman couldn't help but curse. "FUCK!"

"Roman, that's wrong? Are you alright—?"

"I'm fine!" Roman shouted into the link. "I just got distracted and the annoying Ren kid over there decided to slash me across the arm! God-dammit, you actually cut my arm, for fuck's sake!" Roman shouted at Ren, who didn't make a noise at all. Nora was too hyper to make any comments.

Even though he saw the trick, even though he saw them flee, Roman doesn't laugh, doesn't even smile as Jaune wraps his arm around his shoulder to support him. "Why is it," Roman grunts out, "—That you're always the one who decides to make up plans at the last second?" Roman chuckled, but not in amusement.

"In my defence, it's not like I'm good at being a criminal, Roman," Jaune reminded him. "If they managed to get to the front, it would've been all over. So..."

Roman laughed. "Bullshit, kid! Bullshit! After all the things you did, I don't believe that for a second!"

"Who knows?" Jaune asked, giving a small shrug as he did so. "In which case, I'm going to need to borrow your cane for a few moments. Well, if you let me use it, that is."

Roman gave him a look of curiosity. "What are you planning?"

"Not going to take any chances in securing the boiler room." Jaune assures Roman. "I'm going after Neo. Can't risk someone derailing my plan, and besides, I need you to stay alive."

"And after that?"

Jaune sighed. He was prepared to take down anyone to secure Vale's safety.

"After that, I'm making sure we're staying alive."

 ** _[Alternative RIOT-QUEST: "Cut The Strings!]_**

 ** _[This is it. It's your time to stop Cinder's plan from succeeding, and there's no coming back from it. Your decisions from this point will change Vale, and the whole world.]_**

 ** _[Take down the remaining White Fang members, get Neo, and stop the train!]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 200,000 EXP (depends on how well you do), max decreased closeness/confidence with Cinder Fall, decreased confidence/reputation with Vale's Underworld, Rat's notoriety increases even more, Roman Torchwick/Neo's ? confidence/reputation, ? joins the situation. Decreased reputation with the White Fang, Decreased respect from other criminals, ? reputation with Vale/Ozpin/Beacon Academy.]_**

After all, if this was what it took to stop Cinder and save Vale, then this was what he'd do.

* * *

 ** _~ Stat Sheet ~_**

* * *

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 48_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _MP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _SP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/41,880_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 5/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 93/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 8/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 52 [60]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 54 [62]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 55 [60]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 42 [47]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	28. 28 - Conflict

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used for glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Sometimes, people change the world after it shatters their very being."_**

* * *

 _Two figures stood within the silent garden; silently, they stared at the other._

 _"Why?" The first figured paused, their voice laced with hesitation. "He's just a kid, why would you do this to him?"_

 _On the other hand, the second figure stood with powerful eyes boring into the former. "He has potential."_

 _"That's it? There's nothing else?"_

 _The latter chuckled with a raspy breath, shaking their head. "There's so much more to him than you think."_

 _"But he's-?"_

 _"So? It's not like you had any qualms about the whole situation-"_

 _The latter was interrupted by a series of loud bangs, eyes narrowing at the sounds of roaring explosives. "Prepare to complete a few tasks, apprentice. It seems some kids have started to meddle with the train."_

 _The former nodded slowly. "As always?" They questioned._

 _"As always."_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

The train rode smoothly in the sweltering air, all but blocking the sounds of Grimm behind it. He'd reconnected wires that had been cut—the metal parts, at least, though there was nothing to do for the insulation; the air was bathing him in heat. Not much to say about the broken glass, either, though he'd cleaned up the shards and the broken weapons laid across the bloody floor. After months of preparation, he was good enough to do this.

He had to be.

Nothing stopped him at the middle train-cars, but then, he hadn't expected anything at that point. Jaune was sure he was spotted pretty much instantly, though; he'd considered the idea of stealing the uniform of some White Fang mook for underestimation value, but given the uselessness of maintaining, moving, and acting through such a disguise, it hadn't been worthwhile. And really, were RWBY and JNPR not going to be suspicious of a single grunt walking about in the section for the upper-echelons? Most likely not. He'd considered his options and had settled on using _[Aura Adrenaline]_ to find Neo quickly. With any luck, he'd be able to find Neo and get both of them to the front. At that point, he'd pull the lever down and stop the train... even if it was suicidal to do so.

And because his status screen didn't use luck as a stat, he didn't have a need to hold back. Not now, not when things were too important to be exploited via unnecessary risks. Rat covered his face even as his body was cloaked in the Rat's armour, of course, but he'd also cleaned and redesigned everything with his higher crafting skill. The White Fang grunts were ready beside him, now so used to the train's processes that they didn't need to be on the spot. Together, they all watched the ground whirl underneath them and after the brutal bloodshed, it was a sombre, tragic silence.

But as Jaune heard the sounds of fighting up ahead at last, he spoke.

"Don't let anyone other than me, Torchwick or Neo get through, understand?" And with that single request, the grunts were already forming in front of various doors in various halls. Some were facing his back in an almost last stand-esque style, even after all the pain everyone went through thanks to the White Fang, Jaune couldn't help but feel... tired. Not the kind of tired a person might face when staying up at midnight, or even later than that, but the kind of exhaustion where sleep couldn't help. He just felt tired; he could already smell a dreadful scent in the door ahead of him, and it kept forcing Jaune to keep a deep breath locked in his chest.

Even as the door began to swing open, the few remaining lights in the room were beginning to flicker out and die. Here, with the dying lights and a humming mountain, the night got dark this far beneath the ground in a way that was difficult to describe unless you could see it. People mocked others for being terrified of the dark, especially in a place like Vale since it was almost never dark, not overwhelmingly. There were always lights on lamp posts, front doors, some windows, and beacons. Ironically, though people claimed it was childish to fear the dark, they all wanted to avoid being swallowed by such a hopeless sensation.

After all, it wasn't that long ago when people couldn't stop distance themselves from it. When they didn't have Dust and hadn't pushed the dark back with new inventions, new weapons, and a new profound hope. And in a world without that luxury, when the Grimm was at home in the dark... it was something associated with death. Death, destruction, ruin... he didn't need to explain why many people still feared the dark.

Not when he was scared, himself. Not when it reminded him so much of when he died and felt nothing afterwards.

It didn't take long for him to feel the violent pang of panic; but, Jaune kept running. His hands shook, his breath became fast, and the skin was paling from how terrified he was—but he had too much on the line now. Too much to lose, too much to gain, he wasn't in a healthy balance of losing or getting things at all. He wasn't at all, and Jaune didn't think he could take another second of seeing the dark anymore. So, with what must've been a rapid rush to get his night-vision visor, Jaune put it on. The man didn't stop himself from releasing a long sigh of relief—and as soon as the train gave off another explosive—Jaune rushed through the dark to get to Neo.

It was... a questionable move, tactically speaking, but also one he'd thought about extensively. Unless he absolutely had to, Jaune couldn't reveal any of the skills gained during the VPD mission, nor could he reveal any of his new weapons until he had an opportunity to surprise RWBY/JNPR, because there was more at stake here than ever before. Part of that was, yes, because if people saw them while he was disguised, it meant he couldn't use them outside of crime. But, at this point... did it really matter? It's not like he was going to stop being a law-breaker anytime soon, considering the situation. He could get away with a lot of things as a scion of the Arc family, but this was beyond the line. Hell, he went beyond the line when he gave up Jaune Arc to be a criminal.

So, it wasn't really a desire to keep them from being seen, per se. His second reason was the element of surprise, to keep an ace in the hole. Inaccurate information, especially when you're dealing with an opponent or just some other person on the street, is a dangerous thing to deal with. It's not great for you, but it's fantastic to deal the latter at your own terms. That was the exact reason why nobody advertises their semblance, most people, anyways.

Besides, he didn't want his and Jaune Arc's family to be known for being related to a criminal. Rat and June, together, were the second criminal duo in Vale. They had no connections to the Arcs, they didn't have a reason to care about the Arcs, and he'd make sure nobody harmed them. The only way for his family to get hurt, Juniper and Dad anyways, would be through Cinder's exposure or Cinder attempting to kill them. He wasn't worrying, though. Cinder had no chance to know about this—and if she did? By the time she'd figured it all out, Dad and Juniper would be long gone from her radar. And of course, there was always a few situations where things went wrong, but... he was expecting things to go wrong. Maybe, Cinder would find a way out of this, but he knew she didn't know what was happening right now.

That was more than enough for him—

"CHECKMATE!"

As soon as Jaune heard the call, a bullet cracked through the hole of his cheek, and if it weren't for Ruby's shouting then that bullet would've more than grazed his face. Instantly activating [A _ura Adrenaline]_ , he felt the familiar clang of weaponry striking against his daggers, and the cackling of electricity revealed Ruby's silver gaze. What had once been a friendly face was twisted into a saddened frown, and Jaune heard Ruby's deep breaths. She was nervous—

The Schnee Symbol faced Ruby's back, and as soon as the former ran out of the symbol's trajectory, Blake leapt off the symbol with a roaring blast. Slashes of pure purple energy were throwing themselves at him; but, Jaune noticed Blake's yellow glow. It was like as if her aura branched itself out of her skin, forming into a yellow haze around her. Lights flashed through the darkness, but neither did electricity or light find home on either user. Storms of bullets were fired towards him, courtesy of what must've been an enhanced version of Ruby's weapon, making him shake his head. Jaune cursed; it wouldn't be long until the train crashed into the walls, so...

 _'Gamer's Mind.'_

"Let's take this to the roof." And with that comment, Jaune jumped and grappled the top ledge, pulling himself with a massive leap. Jaune suppressed a sigh before taking a deep, resolving breath and turned to face the entrance his body had gone through, for all appearances waiting calmly. Only seconds had passed since his impromptu entrance, but even that short pause meant RWBY/JNPR were taking their sweet time planning and Jaune wondered if they were dragging their feet or if they just knew he wasn't going to shoot down at them. Or perhaps they were letting him stew in his thoughts, allowing the tension to build and wear him down following a few displays of their advantages. That seemed a bit manipulative for Ruby to advocate, but perhaps she was doing it without thinking, in a desperate attempt to prevent the fight.

Jaune didn't hesitate to accelerate, feeling howling winds whirl past his skin. There was nothing to feel; no anger, no sadness, no fear... just nothing. And whether this decision was the best—that didn't matter anymore, not now. As Jaune picked up the speed, Jaune heard the sounds of quick footsteps behind him, and some of the noises were getting closer. Right on the last carriage, Ruby swung her scythe around and battered his chest with the blunt side and watched as Jaune tumbled onto the steel platform. After the pain passed, there wasn't any time wasted between getting up and getting ready to aim his revolvers, but he noticed Ruby's hands shake. Was she shaking in doubt? Fear? Jaune supposed it didn't matter, since... she didn't matter in the long run.

Not until she unlocked her powers.

"First hit, as always. Ruby," Jaune said with confidence he couldn't feel. "But perhaps you forgot what I said about keeping care of the environment. This _train_ is filled with dust. Dust can be quite volatile."

Slowly, she turned to face him, the expression a mixture of sorrow, resolve, and surprising ferocity.

"Ruby Rose," He said clearly, thankful for how broken Gamer's Mind was while he gazed into her eyes. "You've really... changed."

Most people would've been put off because of how Rat acted, but Ruby didn't move.

"I know." She said quietly. "You've changed a lot, too. Jaune."

"I tend to avoid murdering, but that act was my only choice. I'm afraid that I can't take it back," Jaune replied without a trace of emotion. "You see, when you're faced with being chased by the VPD—could you really spare those who want to kill you?"

"I would," Ruby said, nodding even as Jaune stared Ruby down. "Which is why I'm here, really. I'm here to save Vale, to stop whoever's leading the bad guys, to stop _you_."

"It's noble of you to try, but I doubt you'll win no matter what happens," He reloaded his revolver as he talked. "But, you shouldn't have such a black and white perspective of the world, Rubes. What if there's someone out there, someone as kind as you who has to kill? Are they just as bad as the people who enjoy killing?"

Ruby stood with a frigid glare, gripping her scythe so tightly that it shook from the force.

"There's a world of a difference between a person forced to kill and someone like you." She said, refusing to stand down. "You killed so many people. Mothers, fathers, daughters, sons... people who were parents of children. People who, every-day, stopped at nothing to help others. I thought you were my friend, Jaune. Not this—"

"—I'm sure that the Jaune from before and the Jaune you're looking at now are entirely two different people," he admitted. "Your friend would've never wanted to hurt you, he would've never kidnapped your sister, and he would've stuck by his principles and stopped Torchwick. And did he?" Jaune was going to answer, but Ruby interrupted him.

"No."

"Exactly. Now, can we get this over with? I have more important things to worry about than you," Jaune asked. But, suddenly, an interruption came to his attention via the glance of a red screen.

 ** _[Gamer's Mind has deactivated.]_**

"I just want to know why you did these things, Jaune. What was so important that it had more value than tons of lives? Over a hundred lives? She said, shaking her head. "Please. Just tell me—"

The sudden impact of emotions within his chest forced him to speak. "And what, Ruby? What would be earned from telling you about my reasons? Didn't I already tell you about the danger, the excitement, the freedom? I'm doing this because this is a necessary action, something that holds more value to me than the people who tried to kill me. This is one of those necessary actions." Jaune gripped his daggers tightly.

"—This isn't a necessary action!" Ruby glared. "Killing people wasn't necessary! Hurting your friends wasn't necessary! Kidnapping Yang and Neptune weren't necessary!" Ruby spoke harshly, eyes narrowed considering as she began to find her stride. "You keep lying to yourself by saying that these actions are for a good cause, but I know you're lying, Jaune. You're hurt on the inside, I already told you that I thought you were lying, and so do RWBY! JNPR still misses you! We're still your friends—!"

"—That seems like a ridiculous point, Ruby." He spoke with anger, eyes narrowing as he found his stride. "I would argue the circumstances forced my hand. In return for a moment of your time, I would explain. As for my status, however, I'm afraid that may still be an issue—for you see if I let go of what I am then my family gets hurt. My boss will try and kill my family, doing absolutely everything she can—in her power— to pull it off. Ask yourself this, Ruby, if you were forced into my position and you had to hurt others to keep your family safe, would you do it?"

"I..." Ruby hesitated, watching him with emotional eyes. "I don't know. Maybe we can somehow make a plan to get you and your family out, maybe we can do something to make sure everything goes fine and..." She stopped speaking. "I can't. I can't believe this. I can't believe you forced us all to suffer, watch others get hurt, and I wouldn't even know what to do if I was forced to do these things..."

He gestured at her noncommittally before continuing.

"Do you know where we are?"

"Mount Glenn, we're rushing through the train systems to head towards Vale..." She answered with a look of horror. "And you'll cause the deaths of many people if I don't stop you."

"That could be unnecessary. However, perhaps I could rephrase my question. Do you know why you were sent here?"

"We were sent to Mount Glenn because Ozpin let us go. He trusted us with this mission because we were way better than most of the teams in our year, if not the best..."

Jaune sighed.

"But, are you aware of why Ozpin actually wanted RWBY and NPR to head down here?" He asked.

"I assume it's because everyone else was either busy with another mission or didn't bother picking it," She stated with suspicious, narrowed eyes. "Why are you asking me all of this? Are you trying to make out that Ozpin is this horrible person that's as bad as the Grimm?" She said and if she was being sarcastic, she wasn't hiding it well.

"That's entirely assumptive," Jaune remarked. "But that paints a false image. Ruby, the reason why Ozpin took such an interest in you and your team was that of your eyes. Your silver eyes. You see, the main reason why Ozpin invited you to Beacon—other than your prodigal talents— was because your eyes hold a dangerous power. A power so formidable, that if it completely matures, it becomes capable of destroying Grimm with a single glance. You may not be aware of it, but the reason why your mother was sent on her last mission was that of her silver eyes. If Ozpin hadn't taken such an interest in her silver eyes, then perhaps, she'd still be alive. Your sister's mother is Raven Branwen, who plays a prominent role in Ozpin's game. Weiss Schnee has issues with the White Fang, and Blake Belladonna was once a member of the White Fang. Your motivations, together, would drive you all to fight Torchwick and the White Fang."

"What?" Ruby asked quietly. "But, that's..."

"Horrible," Jaune finished for her. "And partially the reason why I am here. The situation, you see, forced me to commit crimes. I'm sure you'd agree that I had to act, but my options were limited. I dug myself into a deep hole and I needed to get out for the sake of saving my family and possibly saving something more than a family. Nonetheless, I had no choice but to act; you, if anyone, should understand why."

He was getting wordy, he realised, and it reminded him of the old times when he wasn't doing anything to keep people distracted. It wouldn't be long until the rest of Team RWBY reached Roman, and judging on the fact that Neo hadn't come back, it meant she was either still working with the rest of the White Fang to fight Team JNPR and Yang or she was unconscious. Or dead. Either way, he needed to get back now.

"What?" Ruby asked, looking confused. "What do you mean?"

"I think you and I aren't so different, Rubes. If anything, it's the opposite case." He said, refocusing in an instant. He honestly wasn't sure where he was going with this, yet; he was just doing his best to distract Ruby to have enough time for making a few backup plans. As he came to a thought that held potential, he seized it and pressed onward. "In the eyes of others, we're small and helpless. We're not people, Ruby, but pawns in a game neither of us understands. Look around us."

His arms gestured around them—at the train, the broken machinery, at the world.

"Could there be a more fitting place for us to fight? A city where kind public figures and criminals force others to work for them. A train filled with broken machines, sent to be ruined by the same people. I killed people and I did so thoughtlessly, something I can't take back, but those same people were ordered to kill me. And what does that mean for you and everyone else, Ruby? Nobody deserves to be imprisoned by their own circumstances—you are so much more than a simple pawn, whilst other people just let themselves suffer. They were ordered to kill me and I did feel guilt, but... Ozpin and my boss won't stop at a simple change. Hell, my boss's boss won't stop at that, far from it. And see, you're letting yourself be controlled. Qrow won't tell you anything about your silver eyes, Ozpin won't tell you about the real reason why he's doing this, and the first person to tell you is the person who tried to kill you _multiple_ times. What can we expect, then, of your team, Ruby? Of your children and grand-children? Are they going to be trapped because of these same people? Are they?"

Ruby seemed to shrink into herself at his words, a figure of tremendous, unbelievable will looking abruptly frightened, hesitant, confused—and he couldn't help but be bothered by it.

And yet, unlike before, he stood calmly.

"You're... you're wrong," Ruby said. "Uncle Qrow wouldn't lie to me about this... Mom wouldn't have been sent on her final mission because of her silver eyes, you have to be wrong. You're wrong!"

"If that's what you believe, then you are wrong or else you've been lied to." He answered after a moment, blue eyes boring into silver eyes. "I can see it so clearly. Emotions on your face, in your eyes. Doubt and panic forcing you to lose your control, hell, you're shaking. You don't deserve to be in a situation like this, Ruby. Your team doesn't deserve this, nor do Team JNPR deserve to go through all of this. Why isn't Ozpin doing anything? Why is he being so passive? It's because he's treating your lives like their tools to be used, most likely using your lives as weapons against _her._ "

"I..." She tried speaking, taking a step back.

"We don't have to be enemies, Ruby," Jaune said calmly. "Let's not fight. I haven't killed anyone on this trip; everyone is still having a nice time in Vale, waiting for this conflict to be over. Just let Neo get to the front of the train, let me get to the front of the train, and I'll stop the train."

"I can't..." She said after a moment. "I...I'm..."

"Would Ozpin punish you, Ruby?" He asked. "If you let me stop this train? What does that imply, then? For the two of us, and for everyone else? For whom living a free life of peace is impossible. If that's how things are, then perhaps you should question the world and the people you think you know. Ruby, you aren't anyone's pawn. You aren't a thing, something to be used and thrown away like some piece ripped off a board. You are a living, a being with a soul—and there is nothing in this world with a soul that deserves to be used as a pawn. And if they would dismiss you for questioning their actions, questioning the world around you, and trying to not be blind to everything... then they're wrong."

She was silent for a moment, blinking at him rapidly, lips forming silent words, but he kept going after a brief pause. He wondered a bit about his words, at how swiftly they could turn a bluff into a genuine heartfelt conversation, something that could affect both of them—or was this how she really felt all along? Either way, he continued.

"Rubes, you don't need to be afraid of me. You're strong... and if you wished, I could take you and our friends away from this hell. I could help you all along, give you freedom in a place where everyone isn't forced into positions—places nobody wants to be in. Together, we could help this city, make it better than the city it was before and the sorry state it is now. I would do everything in my power to protect you, your team, my team... everyone else. You can come with me if you want. Or you can stay and fight for what you believe in. Whatever you want, it's your choice. But, please, let me get Neo and I'll stop this train. I don't want to be your enemy anymore. I'd rather be your friend again."

He saw emotions on her face and more in her status screen—uncertainty, hope, hesitation, fear, determination, worry, sadness—and he realised just how afraid this girl was. Of life, of the world, of everything. She was very much a child in a torn city by people she didn't know, and one of her opponents was her first friend in Beacon.

And maybe this is where he made a mistake. Or perhaps, he'd done too much to her. She was a person—uncertain and scared and worried and afraid and everything else that could mean—and faced with that, Ruby couldn't stop thinking about everything that'd happened to her and him. For that reason... Jaune didn't have the will to hurt her like everyone else.

No, he didn't. And why would he? The people he'd faced... they were all adults. And if they weren't adults, they knew what they were doing. Those people fought him for the sake of Vale, not because someone wanted to play her around. The tragic thing about all of this—what had made him so hesitant—was the fact that Ruby didn't have a choice. She was a leader, someone to be relied on, trusted... why didn't he understand that before?

Ruby was a child in a horrible, horrible world.

"No, this is... I can't. This is wrong," Ruby shook her head, not having the will to look through the holes in Jaune's mask. "Something's wrong. There must be a mistake. How would you know... Uncle Qrow wouldn't... something must be at work here. Uncle Qrow, he'd know what to do."

She turned to her teammates and JNPR. Legions of White Fang members fought them—Roman and Neo were in the back helping with the situation.

He saw his only real hope die before his eyes.

"You love him," Jaune said, suddenly tired.

"He's my uncle," She said simply, extending a hand. "He, my dad, and Yang... they wouldn't want me to..."

Jaune nodded, understanding what she struggled to put into words. He couldn't have felt anymore heartbroken at this moment, and not because of some sort of betrayal, but because Ruby was so... pained. Ruby looked like she was in _pain._

"Headmaster Ozpin wants us to bring you in. There's an emergency—the train, the walls, it's... it's important," Ruby said. "But, we still don't have to fight. We can take you to him, let you explain what happened. I'll even stand up for you. I still want to be your friend, even after everything you did... but you're not going to give up..."

"You have a job, Rubes." Jaune finished for her. "I understand. And I still want to be your friend, too. But, there are people out there who are relying on me, counting on me, hoping for me to win, and I won't let them down; I'm sure you understand how it feels to be in this situation. Are you sure you can let me go? If you're trying to stop me like a Huntress would, it's not going to work."

"I..." She looked down. "Don't understand why this is happening. I don't know how you know all of these things—how you know so much about what's going on. I know I don't understand. But, I trust Headmaster Ozpin. He's not a bad person. Whatever's happening, I know he's not going to give up on trying to save Vale, too. So... I have to protect Vale and our friends. Even if I still want to be your friend, to believe you want to stop being this horrible person, I can't make any mistakes. I have to protect everyone. So, please... just give up."

He was silent for a long moment, more in an attempt to rein his thoughts in. He couldn't go with her. Even if he had some sort of way to deal with Ozpin, and even if Ozpin knew he was telling the truth... he'd gone too far. He's beyond forgiveness. He had too many lies that, if uncovered, would ruin his plans for stopping Salem. And too many enemies. If Cinder found out what he'd done...

"I can't," Jaune shook his head at last. "I'm sorry, Ruby. But... I've hurt so many people. I've made the situation worse by trying to make it better—and I can't find it in me to forgive myself for what I've done." Jaune grabbed his cracking mask, and he hung it on the two clips hanging by his vest.

"I'm sorry."

Ruby looked down at the ground and nodded deeply, looking miserable. Jaune took a deep breath, trying to not let the pains in his chest get to him.

"Me too," Ruby said and meant it. "Me too."

For him, he couldn't help but notice the rest of Team RWBY/JNPR staring at him in shock. He saw emotions in their faces and more in their status screens—uncertainty, hope, hesitation, fear, disgust, worry, sadness—and he realised just how horrible this must've felt for them, too.

"I'll make this quick," Ruby said and he barely saw her move before a swing of a scythe descended down upon him. He heard metal scraping and saw a shining gleam of a razor edge as her scythe cackled with dust, held by nothing and air blasting behind her with a sharp sound—and then he was pushed back with two daggers facing the former. The daggers held under the impact before shining, screaming to the heavens with a rush of sensations that he felt against his very being as the scythe pushed further inwards. He felt pain in his entire body, and the pains that appeared after using Gamer's Mind were multiplying too, making him bite his teeth down. He was thrown back.

Or, more accurately, pushed back.

And his shoes scraped against the metallic floor, his weapons jamming into the train's thick hide, forcing him to listen to its incessant wails. He felt metal breaking underneath his body and he was handed down from the howling wind where he was sent in for a rough tumble into the dirt and landed down with a bang. The platform beneath him started to crumble; and, if it hadn't been for his improvising, Jaune might've descended down into the dark halls.

A cut on Jaune's face hissed with air, disappearing a moment after. His face felt horrendous; it kept intensifying. The pain, his face, everything—the sensations were overwhelming him.

But only for a second before the pain disappeared, swept away by the Gamer's Body. Still, for a moment all he could do was lay there, stunned by the pain and the confirmation it had carried with it. He was strong and he had trained hard and held layers with his defences, and the fact his armour shook... he'd have to not hold back. Between him and any attack was his armour which soaked a lot of damage before failing, his Aura which made damage turn to his MP before touching his HP, and his Physical Endurance wasn't a joke. Maybe it was the fact that this game was on the highest difficulty, but... no. He had no choice.

He got up because that didn't change anything. He still had a goal to reach, people to help, and a city to save. Can't talk, can't run, can't hide, so he'd have to fight her.

Jaune suppressed a sigh before taking a deep, resolving breath and turned to face Ruby, for all appearances waiting calmly. Only seconds had passed since the initial clash—and the tumbling—but even that short pause kept us waiting for the other to try and land a strike. It felt like Ruby was trying to get him to think of everything—like some sort of attempt to make him surrender. Like the last warning. Or perhaps she was just trying to make plans with her teammates and NPR. That seemed a little uncharacteristic for Ruby, but considering what'd happened, he couldn't find the will to blame her for stalling.

When Torchwick and Neo retreated to his sides, Jaune nodded at the two of them. "You two look fucking wrecked. How long do we have until the train crashes into Vale?"

Quickly, Torchwick turned to face him, the expression a mixture of exhaustion, annoyance, and anger. "Ten minutes. Why are you asking about that?"

Jaune sighed. "Do you remember when I asked you if you trusted me?"

"Yes... why are you asking this now?" Roman asked, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"If we don't stop these kids after five minutes, head to the front with Neo and stop the train."

Roman looked at him so quick that his neck could've snapped. "What! Are you insane?!" Neo was stunned; and, so was Roman. "Do you know what'd happen if we stopped the train? The Grimm would eat us alive! Are you fucking mental?!" Roman whispered rapidly to him, constantly keeping an eye on Team RWBY/NPR.

"I have a plan and another plan. Roman, if we can get through Cinder's shit, I think we can get out of this. Okay? Just trust me." Roman looked at him with a scowl, only to sigh when Jaune spoke again. "Please."

Silence.

"For fuck's sake, kid. Just... fine. Only after five minutes. But, if your plans don't work, I'm going to beat the shit out of you and send you straight to hell and back. Do you understand?"

Jaune nodded at Neo and Roman. "I do."

Roman sent him a look. "Do you, Rat?"

Jaune didn't speak, only nodded.

Roman sighed, and Neo was keeping an eye on the opposition as he did. "Considering Cinder will cut loose after this, I don't think we have any other options. So, fuck it." He gestured with his hands, only doing so because he was resigned. "Just... let's do this." Neo nodded as well, frowning as she stared at the students ahead of her. With torn clothing, a damaged parasol, and blood-shot eyes, Neo looked exhausted. Roman's hat was partially torn, and his white suit was filled with holes and tears. And him? His mask was damaged, his uniform scarred from an overpowering slash.

Upon that moment, together, the three of them spread out evenly on the metallic platform. Jaune reloaded his revolvers, watching them transform into grenade launchers. The grenade launchers sparked with violent, almost bloody, red lights that reflected off the grey-tinted surface. Jaune stood up straight with a blank look, one that developed when he decided to stop holding back.

 ** _[Gamer's Mind has been activated.]_**

* * *

 ** _~ Reviews & Replies ~_**

 ** _itsMARWIE:_** _Who knows? I've planned for this part to be crazy._

 ** _Guest:_** _Well, when RWBY/NPR are sent onto a mission regarding Mount Glenn, it's not like he has more time to sort things out. And the 'new person' thing is a good guess._

 ** _Joe:_** _Yeah, this section of Season 2 is going to make the SDC mission look like a joke in comparison. That's all I'll say about it._

 ** _GamehunterMC:_** _Well, if you were dying for the next chapter, you'd be in a hospital. Probably._

 ** _Dandaman5:_** _Consider it done, lol._

 ** _Gamble1015:_** _Juniper's reasons for working with Cinder Fall will be revealed, eventually. It'll take some time to get to why she's working with Cinder._

 _Thanks for the reviews!_

* * *

 ** _Stat Sheet_**

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 48_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _MP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _SP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/41,880_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 5/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 93/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 8/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 52 [60]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 54 [62]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 55 [60]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 42 [47]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	29. 29 - Brakes

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Sometimes, people change the world after it shatters their very being."_**

* * *

 _Silently, he stood, staring at Torchwick._

 _Roman lit up a cigar._

 _"We need to get away from Cinder."_

 _Jaune closed his eyes._

 _"Cinder's going to fuck us up, no matter what we do." Roman said, puffing the smoke out into the frigid air._

 _Jaune held his tongue._

 _"We may as well try; it's not like we'll live for a long time at her side..."_

 _Roman shook his head._

 _"Kid, I don't think we can get out of this situation without her killing us."_

 _Jaune sighed._

 _"I'll figure something out, okay?"_

 _Roman didn't respond._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

Well, shit.

He was fucked. He was pretty sure of that conclusion when both RWBY and JNPR appeared, not to mention Doctor Oobleck (not Professor) who just appeared by his student's side. The difference between us was tremendously varied, whether based on level, stats, or something else. In fact, going by strategical value, Jaune knew that unless they (Roman and Neo) had a massive back-up plan, there was almost no way they'd be able to get out of here. Well, get out of here and live.

Even so, he stayed calm. Admittedly—he owed the emotional stability entirely to Gamer's Mind— but he did stay calm, analysing the situation as he tried to find a way to get out of here, to get out of this situation. Alive. Jaune recalled what he knew about Team RWBY/JNPR and Dr. Oobleck; but, he knew there wasn't enough time to incapacitate all of them. Let alone Oobleck. Oobleck was on a different level from RWBY/JNPR—and some of their members were formidable in their own right. Yang, Pyrrha, Nora... Ruby. Those four were the main threats—other than Oobleck—and if he managed to inflict some damage on the Ren/Nora dynamic then he could do something. He just needed to buy some time to figure something out.

Even if standing in front of your old friends—your own History professor—in an underground world made it seem like a lot of time.

He considered his options quickly but before he even knew what was doing, he'd stood up and walked fully into their sight, standing before his old friends and his professor. Standing in front of Torchwick and Neo, almost like some protective companion who wanted to keep them safe. And that... that was ironic. It really was ironic. A moment later, Jaune registered what he'd done and he almost nodded to himself—his cover had been blown and if the goal was to at least weather them down before escaping, this was the best thing to do. He'd have preferred to run back and shut the train down, but there was no way in hell he could do that until there were enough explosions to damage the walls. Maybe... he could make a rock-slide? If he made the entire wall just behind the train collapse, perhaps he'd be able to have enough time to get everyone out. But, first...

"Please, Jaune..." Ruby begged at last.

He rushed her as a way of replying.

She reacted quickly, her scythe whirling into place at a speed he'd barely been able to match before.

But, that was before. She was fast now, but not faster than he could move, not too fast for him to perceive—and there was more to battle than just a few weapons and speed, something he'd thought about in their last fight. Enhancement, for example, was always a factor; even if he was just as quick as her, Weiss could always enhance her capabilities with a few glyphs of her own. As the scythe struck like a serpent, Jaune danced back a few steps and swerved to the right as the scythe flew past him in the air. As it did, he caught sight of its glimmer in the air, light reflecting off of a long trail of something very slight as it extended from the the handle towards him.

Chains, he realised and before abandoning his thoughts and continuing his evasion. It was good to know and something to keep in mind as he navigated across the train's roof, but he was too preoccupied to take advantage of it. A moment after the first swing landed, the other parts of her scythe adjusted, angles shortening even as tips turned. Jaune crouched slightly to let the chain whirl past his face, flying through the air so harsh that he could feel the air try to cut his skin, before skating to let a third chain land down in front of him. A moment later, he rose, a quick hop letting him jump over the chain and he dodged an abrupt lunge from Blake.

In an instant, unblinking amber eyes were on him, all but sharp as sheath and sword were gripped tightly in her hands. Quickly, her sheath and sword slashed together like a whirling wave set to cut him in half even as his daggers rose in defence. He couldn't hope to avoid the blow, he knew that, but holding her to stand-still was the best possible move. At the last second, daggers sparked with electricity, giving a clear warning to Blake. But even at that, Blake refused to stop pushing him back, almost shoving him, like as if she had nothing to lose. Jaune watched as the daggers screamed; but, Ruby's scythe sounded even louder.

Jaune jumped into the air, pushing himself backwards as far as he could, watching Blake jump onto a glyph and leap towards him with a determined glare. A series of slashes were heard over the train's groaning, both Jaune and Blake were unrelenting in their strikes. Jaune swung down at a descending Blake, turning in midair as it changed his angle of descent. He watched as a spiral of chains wrapped around Blake for a soft landing, before biting at Jaune's body in an attempt to wrap him into a grave of chains. Jaune flipped himself over and impaled his daggers into the chains, biting his lips as he heard his daggers screech down his descent. Jaune lunged again as he landed on the ground hands first.

A swing pushed him into a handstand as Ruby pulled her chains back to her, making her scythe possess an exterior black armour, cutting edges passing underneath him just as his handstand turned into an assisted flip. The moment he was back on his feet, Weiss descended down the train's platforms with a mighty lunge, ignoring the howling winds that kept trying to pull her back. Jaune took a simple side-step and swung her around before punching her in the face, but her hand grabbed his fist and Jaune blocked Blake's kick.

Shaking his head, Roman pulled out Melodic Cudgel and flipped it towards Ruby, forcing the front to pop out with a long rope. Instinctively, Ruby yanked her chains around Melodic Cudgel, making Roman smirk and pulled them towards him and into the air. They watched as Ruby was thrown into the air, and as soon as Roman pulled Melodic Cudgel down towards the ground, Ruby started to plummet head-first into the train's platform.

Yang's eyes became a bloody red, flying into the air with her gauntlets firing against the floor, and only Blake enhancing Yang's velocity with her ribbons could have made her quicker. In that single moment, Jaune gave Weiss a mighty swing, flipping her over and slamming her so hard that the metallic platform gave out. The three of them tumbled into the lingering dark.

Jaune's night-vision visor searched through the area in a rapid attempt to find Blake and Weiss. The only answer within the room was a few metallic scrapes, like as if someone punctured their boards with a few nails to make the sound. With a deep breath, Jaune swerved to the right with a quick move like he thought someone was about to attack.

There was no strike.

And even as the dark seemed more prevalent, Jaune hung on, keeping his Gamer's Mind under control. Jaune suppressed a jerk before taking his daggers out and facing the entrance of the room. For all purposes, Jaune kept his calm appearence; for, looking unsure in a room with no light would end the fight badly for him. Suddenly, Jaune swerved to the right because of a quick lunge, amber eyes narrowed at his form. Jaune hauled himself forward, and the two accelerated across the room with various clashes of their own. Bright lights prevailed in a room of darkness, dying a few moments later like little flashes.

Blake tossed forward, and Jaune kept his eyes on her as her blades lit up within the dark and shook in her hands. Now that he was focused, Jaune saw Blake's aura pushing out towards her skin via her aura channeling, just before two clones of Blake appeared beside her. As they came down upon where he'd stood, he was already whirling around with his daggers, manoeuvring through their strikes. The first clone froze instantly as last resort, gripping Jaune's hand with an icy clasp. Jaune frowned, before spinning around so that the second clone's weapons shattered the frozen clone into pieces. Using a sharp shard from the broken clone, Jaune impaled the second one right in the face and watched it fade away.

Tossing himself forward, he descended from the torn door through the rush, even as he felt his hands touch the upper edge of the broken shutter walls and stuck to the walls with his mana. In the end, Jaune wound up upside-down from the ceiling, looking back even as he held himself straight and high. It was an awkward position, but he let the unstable sparks spat from his daggers guide him so he could keep himself focused on the true threats—but Blake merely turned her head to look at him over one shoulder, drawing her weapons out as she stood by an angered Weiss.

The moment he touched the ground, however, he wished he hadn't landed. Jaune's eyes glanced around the hall; and, a horrible bright light penetrated his senses. Weiss and Blake pressed forward, and together, delivered a series of strikes that swung back-and-forth in the damaged room. The three of them swerved around the area, delivering brutal jabs against their opposition.

Jaune ducked underneath a horizontal wave of fire, feeling the sweltering heat pass his face to the point where his face became red. As Blake came down from where she'd stood, she was already stabbing forward with her blade and sheath, striking like a snake. Jaune swerved through various lunges, and hopped onto Blake's sheath. And with an emotionless expression—one that didn't fit him at all—Jaune flipped over Blake's sheath and shattered a wall of ice. Suddenly, Wess' Myrtenaster exuded a red glow, aiming at the ice below in an attempt to make mist.

Jaune's revolver transformed from the small, black revolver it once was into a grenade launcher, looking rather similar to Nora's design except with different colour schemes and systems. He pointed at Weiss with it, and out came various dust projectiles that looked like colourful bullets. Bullets that glowed within the dark; but, Blake blocked the bullets with her speed. And in that moment, a dark world became smothered with a frigid mist.

But, suddenly, Jaune whispered.

"Aura Blast."

The entire area around them was consumed with aura, ripping the mist apart with a horrid fervour. The blast was so bright that the entire area gave out a blue glow—a glow that dominated the room and made the darkness disappear—there were flickers of light spiralling within the room. Both Weiss and Blake folded their arms in front of them, barely stopping themselves from being pushed by the blast. Weiss looked at Blake, the latter shaking her head and, together, the two of them formed into a single-file position. Weiss gave out a yellow glow, spinning around with Myrtenaser and forcing both Blake and her to burst with yellow.

Various shots of electricity branched out towards Jaune—the electrical currents were changing so much that it seemed uncontrolled. Untamed. Jaune flipped over electrical waves, horizontal and vertical, and rubbed his hands together with a tut.

"Remind me again, why aren't you helping your teammates?" Jaune asked emotionlessly—the tone was so emotionless that it would've been interpreted as sarcasm if it weren't for the blank stare Jaune was giving them. And though his body was, ever-so-slowly, pushing against Gamer's Mind in an attempt to wrestle the control of his emotions from it, Jaune showed no signs of being effect. No shaking, no trembling... nothing at all.

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's the fact that we're fighting a terrorist? The same terrorist who's been trying to kill us for a while?" Weiss retorted, sarcasm oozing in her voice. And though Blake didn't deign with a response; it didn't matter, she was already frowning in suspicion. Why would a person like Jaune become so emotionless so instantly?

Jaune shrugged. "Sarcasm, Ice-Queen. Sarcasm." After ignoring Weiss' exclaiming at the nickname, Jaune reloaded his weapons in front of them, keeping a cautious eye on the two as he reloaded. "When you're a murderer, a terrorist, and someone who has worked with the White Fang you tend to deal with any situation. I'm sure you'd understand, right, Blake?" Blake gripped Gambol Shroud tightly, but Weiss stopped her from going all-out with a frown.

"I joined the White Fang to help bring equality between humanity and faunus-kind. You, on the other hand, worked with a peace organisation turned terrorist-group for your own selfish goals." Blake looked at Weiss, who nodded. "I don't think you have the right to talk about my actions, Jaune." And with that remark, Blake and Weiss were thinking of various plans to stop him.

Jaune chuckled. "I suppose you could say that I'm a hypocrite, Blake, but I don't run away from my problems." Jaune shot the two of them an empty glance, simply focusing on the situation at-hand. "Let's get this over with."

And together, they sped ahead towards Jaune Arc, glaring at their former peer. Jaune's expression didn't change; for, Gamer's Mind was flooding his mind with the power of the Gamer. Blake and Weiss twirled around various blasts, noting that various walls were melting from the plasma, and through them, they saw the underground veil underneath the city. Jaune rushed towards the self-made hole in the ceiling; for, Jaune started climbing through the hole. It took a few seconds for Blake and Weiss to climb up there, ducking down to avoid a storm of bullets afterwards.

And all of a sudden, the whole fight's structure unravelled from there. Ren and Nora were already descending towards him, firing hailstorms of bullets and grenades at him. With the shake of his head—like he was disappointed—Jaune danced through the projectiles and threw a bomb underneath the hole. And to their surprise, the bomb didn't go out with smoke, but rather an intense light which engulfed the darkness within.

Nora shot him a melancholic stare. "Jaune, why are you doing this?"

Jaune's expression didn't change. "I have to."

Before Ren even had the chance to speak, Jaune's grenade launcher transformed into a pair of SMGs which felt frigid from the ice dust inside of it. Nora and Ren came at him an instant later, closing the distance with stunning speed, far exceeding their performance a while ago. Nora's hammer rose towards him, but did not fire at him, instead bashing his own grenade launcher with a clang. They trailed one another in such a harsh way that one hit could've meant many blows, and Jaune felt the violent air blow across his face as Magnhild barely missed his form. He suddenly found himself being forced to retreat with each attack, because evading would keep him open to many others, yet as he fell back, Nora kept pushing forwards.

When Jaune leapt away, Ren extended his first SMG after him, driving chains into the ground before reeling himself towards Jaune. With his second SMG, Ren fired at him from a distance, raining bullets down at him to keep the pressure on him. It wasn't just the hammer he needed to avoid but the hailstorm of bullets that descended down from above. Jaune wound up wasting time trying to turn his way through it, giving Nora moments to catch up and and force him into personal combat.

And he couldn't dodge everything. He tried, he did so easily, but as they fought Nora started to hold back less and less, like as if she was testing the water with him. But he wasn't so sure he could take all of them on, not after fighting Blake and Weiss at the same time. Even with his heightened perception and his vastly improved agility, keeping track of everything on an accelerating train was... difficult. At first, Nora and Ren struck at him with various combo attacks, but it wasn't until Ren decided to use his chains as a means to fight did it become aggressive.

It began with him dual-wielding his chains and lurching them towards him; which, became exasperating to deal with. Quickly, a chain wrapped itself around Jaune's leg, forcing Ren to drag Jaune towards him and slam the Arc into the metallic floor. The force was so strong that Jaune couldn't breath because of the hit; Jaune was certain that if he didn't have aura or mana, that attack would've killed him.

And so, Jaune tumbled down the rooftops, stumbling just before the gap between the previous train and the one he was on. As Blake and Weiss ran towards Torchwick and Neo, Ren and Nora—all with determined gazes—made Jaune grip his weapons tightly. And as soon as Jaune stared at the Gamer's Mind meter, he cursed, making himself deal with the matter at hand.

 ** _[Gamer's Mind has been deactivated!]_**

Powerful emotions struck him like a hammer, instantly making Jaune's eyes water with tears and release them. Already, his entire body was shaking from the suppressed emotions—anger, exasperation, frustration, excitement, sadness, disgust—all of these emotions were striking him down all-at-once. Jaune resorted to slowing his breathing; a vain attempt in making himself calm. So, with no options, Jaune walked towards them.

Nora gripped Magnhild tightly, looking at a tired Ren who was panting from the violence. "Jaune, please. We don't want to hurt you! We're your friends—!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Jaune stated, simply using his peripheral vision to check on Torchwick and Neo. Suddenly, his weapons turned into his daggers. "You just don't know when to stop fucking around, do you?" His hands shook even more, violently, never yielding. "You just don't know who you're FUCKING WITH!"

If the previous speed Jaune was going at was fast, this would make his previous speed look slow. With a look of absolute determination, anger, and unyielding adrenaline, Jaune disappeared in a veil of smoke bombs. As the entire area around them drowned in the gas—but a person-shaped body blasted through the gas. Jaune's daggers struck so hard against Magnhild that the air around them hissed. Spinning around, Jaune kicked Nora in the face and threw her at Blake and Weiss.

Ren fired rounds of bullets at him, but Jaune kept avoiding their path. Jaune danced back a few steps for the first few bullets and a second for the next group, two eyes gazing carefully, and hopped back a third to get away from another storm of bullets. Then Ren brought up his hands and rushed towards him, shooting him a calm, almost dangerous, look. Ren brought up his arms and aimed the sickles towards Jaune's face, and a series of chains were sent his way, these ones slithering like a coiled King Taijitu with a deadly aim. Jaune lunged straight back to avoid them, already knowing what'd happen—two chains flashed past him, missing but turning around like a boomerang. The previous chains came back towards him a moment later, lashing towards him with a quick, hurtling descent.

Now that Ren had time to focus—it no longer became a matter of evading but a matter of pressure. After having been forced to do some testing, Ren wasn't going to back down from a few simple strikes and combinations, but rather he was far more aggressive than his usual lackadaisical self. But the face was he had to not hold back, if it meant keeping himself alive. He pretty much at least took two hits from Ren after the longer chain-sweep after he sent him running, cornered him, and started attacking. If he managed to dodge them, however, it didn't matter because Ren would always force him back to the usual position. It was almost like a record player that had infinite batteries—a cycle that never ended.

The worst part was the fact that he could see the exact pattern, knew it all by heart, and there was still nothing he could do without being uncontrolled. Uncontrolled, unpredictable, the sort of fighting that'd be the worst type of fighting to pull off on a moving train heading towards Vale. But what choice did he have? It was either forcing Ren to use all of his aura, something that'd take far too much time, or... this.

Jaune needed to keep everyone at least a little wary, toughen the assault, but the only method would force him to fight unfairly. But... fuck it. Honestly, if it meant committing the most horrible acts on Remnant, then he'd make sure Vale would live another day.

Jaune and Ren moved down the train towards the rest of the group where there was destruction everywhere. The rooftops were filled with holes, holes that showed signs of burning or dust blasts. Jaune descended into the fight and grabbed Yang's fist, watching her hair light up like a bonfire within the dark, depressing depths. With blood-red eyes and a snarl climbing up her throat, Yang delivered a fuck-ton of punches that Jaune blocked. Jaune ducked underneath a slash from Blake, before watching her dodge a blast from Roman's cane.

And so, Jaune let go of what little control he'd possessed over his powers, letting himself hold nothing back.

Jaune and Yang fought like there was no tomorrow; lighting the whole world with flamboyant flames and spiteful sparks. Jaune lunged straight at Yang with a sharp dagger, already knowing what'd happen—two gauntlets flashed at him, firing a hail of bullets forward with violent bangs. Jaune's daggers clanged against Yang's gauntlets, but the two of them ducked when Blake fired various bullets at Roman who was deflecting them with no issue at all, but there was no amusement on his face. No amusement, no smirk, nothing. Just a serious frown.

Jaune didn't hesitate to rush Yang with various punches—strikes which Yang blocked with a stopped breath or two. The two of them swung around the whole area, avoiding the holes in the damaged flooring like the plague, dancing to a violent show. Jaune dropped to the ground just before Ren gave a harsh swing, and the two of them engaged in a rough fight of kicks, punches, and stabs. Jaune's eyes were constantly on Yang and Ren, jumping over Ren and swinging him into Ruby, who fell down onto the ground with him. They tumbled, and Ren was barely holding on to the side of the roof with Ruby's hand tightly gripping his.

Instantly, Jaune raised his revolvers, preparing to fire at Ren's hands and end their lives. But before he could, Yang bull-rushed him and punched him straight in the face, only forcing him back by a short distance. Neo got pushed to Jaune's back by Pyrrha, who looked at Jaune for a few seconds, giving Neo the opportunity to smack Pyrrha in the face with her parasol. Jaune was filled with shock at what he'd tried to do, which gave Yang the opportunity to punch him in the face and push him back.

His face of shock evaporated with an empty, hollow glance, choosing to simply focus on fighting Yang. Volleys of blasts echoed between the two of them as they danced, a single step transformed into a series of movements, and it evolved from there. Jaune blocked a swing from Ruby's scythe; and, Jaune dedicated a leg towards pushing Ren back. Jaune grabbed Ruby's neck and threw her towards Yang, forcing the latter to punch Ruby's back and watch her fall forwards in pain.

A range of emotions appeared on Yang's face—anger, frustration, sadness, nostalgia, pain, emptiness—all of these emotions spilled from Yang's face. And for a moment, Jaune thought Yang was going to stay there and focus on cradling Ruby in her arms, watching her sister try to get herself up. But, Ruby was tired, exhausted, and for once... Jaune couldn't help but show remorse on his face. But, Yang didn't care. As Weiss rushed to Ruby's side, Yang's hair burst into flames and her eyes were bathed in heat.

Yang's arms shook.

Jaune gripped his daggers tightly.

And as Yang rushed ahead, Jaune retreated.

The only result being a clash of electricity and fire.

There were emotions screaming from both of their faces, but neither stopped fighting. Weapons clashed, lights flashed, and they just couldn't stop bashing against each other. Jaune manoeuvred through the area, however, he was surprised by Pyrrha grabbing him with a tight grip. A look of sadness, bitterness, and pain froze Jaune in place, before Pyrrha pushed him back into Yang's fire and Jaune felt a horrid pain enter his back. The feeling of bullets penetrating his armour and stabbing his skin, making Jaune breath deeply to stop himself from screaming. Even as his body healed with the remnants of his MP, Jaune still felt an almost unbearable pain, a pain so immense that it felt like his skin was burning.

Jaune didn't hesitate in grabbing Yang's gauntlets, stopping her from firing a series of shots. "Can't you see I'm doing this—?"

Yang slapped him across the face and punched him, watching Jaune tumble down onto the edge of the second-to-last carriage. "Why? Why do all of this, Jaune?"

"Why are you—?" Yang grabbed his throat, her eyes colouring his vision with red. Jaune was lifted in the air as the the previous carriage disconnected.

"Why, Jaune? Why did you try to kill my little sister and Ren? Why did you kill all of those people? Why?" Yang snarled. "Those are the kind of answers that I want answered, Jaune. I don't want some bullshit spouted from your mouth!" Yang threw him towards Pyrrha's side, noticing the latter spare him a sad glance and fight Torchwick.

"I can explain everything—!"

Yang gripped Jaune's throat tightly. "Like you'd say the truth to all of us, Jaune." She grit her teeth. "You know what? I don't need to fucking hear it. You tried to kill my sister, one of her _actual_ friends, so you don't deserve a second chance!" Yang punched him in the face whilst he was down, forcing Jaune to try and keep his defence as tight as possible. A punch cracked Jaune's armour, another one cracked the shoulder-piece, and a final one shattered his chest armour.

Jaune spat at Yang's eyes, making her curse at the distraction. He spun around and kicked her in the face, watching Yang fall backwards with a sharp bang. And as the train carriage they were on disconnected, Jaune considered leaving her on there out of spite. And as the gears of the train started to disconnect the carriage, he sighed and threw Yang over onto the next floor with a harsh clang. Jumping over the next area, he ran towards Neo and blocked Pyrrha's strike.

"Pyrrha..."

Pyrrha didn't respond, only looking into his eyes with blood-shot green ones.

And so, Jaune, Roman, and Neo retreated towards the opposite end of the train. They stared at the exhausted teams of huntsmen-in-training and the serious Dr. Oobleck, whose flamethrower was whipping fire out at this point. Even Roman and Neo weren't acting like they could brush off the fight easily; and, Roman was gripping Melodic Cudgel tightly. Silently, the three of them ran towards the opposite end of the train, avoiding the waves of fire that roared from Oobleck's flamethrower. They all heard the huntsmen from behind chase them, darting behind them like missiles homing in on targets.

Jaune's heart pounded again and again, making his chest feel tight and constricted like he was being crushed. And with deep breaths, Jaune staved the rise of panic that increased in strength without mercy, so, Jaune kept running. He kept trying to ignore the sounds of the Grimm, the sounds of people blasting gun-shells from behind them, the feeling of a bullet ripping through the side of his suit.

When the three of them descended into the dark halls, so did Team RWBY/NPR. So did Oobleck, who, used his weapon as a torch. All together, they ran down the broken rooms filled with large cracks and melted Atlas machines. The world seemed small; for, the world only seemed like a mixture of machines, blood, and silence. The area seemed so... dreary. Dreary, dark, hopeless. But, did it really matter when Jaune was running for his life? When the lives of Vale rested on his shoulders—on him of all people? Maybe, maybe not.

Eventually, Jaune gripped the controls of the train tightly.

And as he looked back at the huntsmen by the door, Roman, and Neo... his mask fell.

"For Vale," Jaune whispered.

Then, the train screamed.

* * *

Jaune's vision clears moments after the crash, but his mind first recognises the screaming and shouting of the radio. All that's left to do now is listen to the radio, figure out the White Fang's position, the Grimm's position, and get everyone out of here. And by everyone, he meant _RWBY/JNPR, Torchwick, Neo, Oobleck... himself._

The train's sudden stop throws everyone off balance, literally and figuratively. White Fang members are thrown overboard, whether to their deaths by the impact or the Grimm that prowl the area. The mechs on top of the train stumble out of position, tumbling to a halt. Who knows what happened to the rest—there wasn't any sounds or sights or anything that suggested the status of any others. Answers for the stop are demanded. Calls to the front room are unanswered. Even if he wanted to, Jaune couldn't answer right now, not when he needed to focus on making sure everyone lived. Not from the fact that RWBY/JNPR and Oobleck were in the same room.

His aura might have protected his body but it does nothing for how much it hurts to move after falling onto his own weapons. Cut shoulder? Sliced rib? Internal bleeding? There were only a few things he could rule out, and most of them were lethal injuries. His weapons are red with his blood, regardless. He wouldn't bother checking; it hurt too much to try.

Confusion and anger became dominant emotions across the train as the truth sets in, making the Grimm come faster.

"Control? Control, what's happening?" A figure asked. "We have to get moving! The Grimm are coming! THE GRIMM ARE—!" Gunfire resumed, screams and begging are heard in the background of the radio, and there's hisses and screaming and tearing of flesh—

It was hard to hear through the pain, the screaming, the unbearable knowledge of condemning people to death, but Jaune had to hear the radio. He needed to wait. To see this through. To hear the consequences of what he'd done, even as he imagines them in his mind. Screams of pain were heard from terrorists who'd begged for their parents, their family. One begged to be with their son, another begged to live another hour for a child. There were cries of fear as terrorists begged for salvation from the very same people they'd been trying to kill this whole time. There were moments of hope as men and women fought against the creatures of darkness, only turning into despair and horror as the same people were devoured.

The Lieutenant tries to reunite the rest of the members, in a desperate attempt to retain the halls. He rallied the men, women, and together, they tried to hold a defence. Their desperate attempts only grow stronger as the Grimm' snarls grow louder, closer, and prevalent.

It is futile, though. Jaune stuck Roman's cane into the door, allowing breathing space for himself to think for a plan. When the lieutenant himself bangs on the door, calling for Jaune to come to his senses and open the door and he promises him anything to restart the train. Jaune says nothing, stares at the horrified Team RWBY/JNPR and Oobleck, simply punching the windows and throwing various bombs at the Grimm behind them to give them time.

As Team RWBY/JNPR and Oobleck leave with Torchwick and Neo, Jaune stood in front of the door himself.

"PLEASE! I'LL DO ANYTHING!" The Lieutenant screamed, his mask now on the floor, replaced by a screaming man who wanted sanctuary.

Jaune grit his teeth. " Why should I help you? You, and the rest of your fucking organisation turned Vale into hell. If it weren't for your raids, your attacks, the deaths of many people for the sake of 'justice', the Faunus would've had a chance for equality. Hell, you made me watch the White Fang kill humans, whether they were adults, husbands and wives, or children..." He shook his head.

"IT WAS FOR JUSTICE! FOR FAUNUS-KIND—!"

"It wasn't justice for faunus-kind." Jaune sneered. "It was revenge. You wanted the world to pay because the Faunus were treated horribly, something that I can understand, but the fact that Adam wants to turn humanity towards extinction isn't justice. It's genocide."

"I DID THIS BECAUSE I HAD TO—!"

"I dealt with you scum because I had to. We make tough choices in life, Lieutenant. You were just on the losing side, for once." Jaune turned around, reloading his weapons, not even giving the Lieutenant a second look.

"You deserve this."

Jaune walked away from the door, simply walking out of the Train and running towards Roman and Neo. The two of them were leading the rest into one of the hatches that led to the sewers.

He couldn't help but feel satisfied as the Lieutenant's screams became louder.

* * *

 ** _Stat Sheet_**

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 48_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _MP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _SP: 4800/4800_**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/41,880_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 5/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 93/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 8/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 52 [60]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 54 [62]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 55 [60]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 42 [47]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 10/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	30. 30 - Bittersweet

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"Sometimes, people change the world after it shatters their very being."_**

* * *

 _Cinder and Juniper stood silently with their masks, the former staring in hidden surprise at the lack of destruction. Juniper didn't say anything at all; for, saying something when Cinder's anger prompted punishment. And the kind of punishment she'd give was unbearable; Juniper had gone through it a few times._

 _Cinder was silent._

 _But, in her hands, were uncontrollable flames._

 _Flames for whoever stopped her plans._

 _Meanwhile, Juniper looked down as the citizens evacuated into other parts of the city, and in her scroll was a live news report about Mount Glenn._

 _"Just a few minutes ago, explosives amongst Mount Glenn's transportation systems were detonated. As for the identity of the detonator, that is unknown. Many believe that the White Fang and Torchwick have collaborated to pull off the attack, but it was stopped. Mr. Ozpin, can you explain what happened for us?"_

 _Ozpin stood up with a nonplussed expression. "Two teams of huntsmen and huntresses successfully stopped the attack. We discovered what was about to happen thanks to a member of the White Fang contacting the police and myself regarding the plan."_

 _On the other side of the table, Lavender nodded. "Roman's right hand man, Rat, wasn't seen before the attack. It's only been a week since the infiltration of Vale's Vault. Do you believe Rat was apart of this collaboration?"_

 _Ozpin nodded. "I believe so. Where Torchwick goes, Rat follows. The two of them have almost never committed a crime without the other as of late, though it's entirely possible to think Rat's henchman, unnamed as of now, could've been apart of this horrible plan."_

 _A moment after, Lavender looked at the cameras of the building, in an almost paranoid manner. "And what do you think is coming for the White Fang? Many members of the White Fang's Vale Branch have died, leaving them in very small numbers."_

 _A cameraman zoomed in on Ozpin, but the Headmaster didn't twitch at all. "The majority of the White Fang's Vale Branch died during the Breach, completely ruining any manpower the organisation might've had in Vale. I believe most, if not all, of the Faunus who intended to join the White Fang will be deterred thanks to this incident."_

 _Ozpin sipped from his cup of coffee. "And who knows what happened down there? Anyone could've shut down the Train, whether if it was the Rat, Torchwick, the huntsmen/huntresses or any White Fang member. We don't know. However, I believe the very same White Fang member deactivated the train."_

 _"Regardless of what happens, I believe we'll have answers for our questions."_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

Jaune stared at the ambient skies, simply standing there with a reflective look on his face.

It wasn't hard to reflect, really, after letting many people die. It wasn't like he pitied himself over what he'd done, but when a person listens to people screaming, dying, asking for their mothers whilst being torn apart, they get a sense of melancholy from it. He couldn't stop remembering the screams of those down below, and he swore he could still hear a remnant of their screaming even as he climbed out of the sewer's valve. Whilst the rest of them were huddled across the metallic platform, rather damaged from its age, Jaune just stood at the open. Staring.

When Ruby stood by, she was looking at him as if they needed to talk.

Jaune shook his head, watching Ruby nod in response.

 ** _[Alternative RIOT-QUEST: "Cut The Strings!]_**

 ** _[This is it. It's your time to stop Cinder's plan from succeeding, and there's no coming back from it. Your decisions from this point will change Vale, and the whole world.]_**

 ** _[Take down the remaining White Fang members, get Neo, and stop the train!]_**

 ** _[REWARD(S): 200,000 EXP (depends on how well you do), ? confidence/reputation with Cinder Fall, decreased confidence/reputation with Vale's Underworld, Rat's notoriety increases even more, Roman Torchwick/Neo's ? confidence/reputation, ? joins the situation. Decreased reputation with the White Fang, Decreased respect from other criminals, ? reputation with Vale/Ozpin/Beacon Academy.]_**

 ** _[Completed!]_**

 ** _[LVL UP! LVL: 48 - LVL: 53]_**

 ** _[EXP: 20,980/54,775]_**

It was hard to describe the rush of emotions that came over him. After a quick gesture to open his stat screen, he drew upon the stats, pushing his pale fingers onto various buttons—though he was hoping the others weren't seeing him do this. It hurt for an instant, an agony like something was tearing him apart from the inside and burning him. After a moment, however, the pain declined and he felt nothing but power. It flowed through him like blood and settled into his bones and skin, reinforcing and empowering every aspect of his body.

 ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 53_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 5350/5350_**

 ** _HP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _MP: 5427/5427_**

 ** _MP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _SP: 5427/5427_**

 ** _SP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/54,775_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 34/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 29/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 29/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 57 [65]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 59 [67]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 65 [70]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 52 [57]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 8/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**

And yet, despite the cost, despite the pain... it felt amazing. He felt strong, stronger now than he'd ever once dreamed of being, and he wanted to laugh at the world for pushing him down for so long—maybe even guffaw, commit another crime for gargantuan amounts of EXP. He restrained the urge calmly, but couldn't stop the chuckle that ripped out of his throat. It was like he'd felt the first time, when he fought against Blake and Sun at that port; a rush of power that was once humbling and uplifting, showing him how far he had to go but also what it was like to be strong.

For a moment, he actually thought about turning back from all of this. If the most dangerous of activities rewarded the most EXP, it'd make sense to commit those actions for the sake of getting stronger, right? But, he'd honestly considered the consequences of what he'd done and... it wasn't a beautiful thing to notice. Many were dead, VPD or White Fang, and Vale wasn't really that much better. Sure, Cinder's plans were slowly grinding to a halt without her knowing who was stopping them, but what costs did he have to pay for Vale?

That's the question, really. How many times could he kill someone? How many times could he go through a robbery, a murder, or a massacre before letting it all get to him? It wasn't the fact he'd needed to be this... horrible to people that was making him hesitate, no, it wasn't that. It's just... this wasn't what he'd wanted to do. He never wanted to kill a bookshop owner, nor did he want to watch so many people die or get tortured or get fucking ripped apart—

Jaune sighed.

Although... how much longer? He wondered, thoughts turning slightly. With only thin judgements of her character as information; well, there wasn't much to go on. Cinder's been planning this for years—and probably for half-a-decade—so it wasn't like Cinder was the kind of person to give up easily. Not to mention Salem, the ruler of the Grimm who's been in this game for more than decades. Centuries. Centuries of trying to kill an entire race of organisms.

And that's the thing, when a person comes to realise that the things they'd done were horrible, they can't stop thinking over those actions. For him, the experience wasn't any different, not at all. If anything—as much as he hated to admit this—he was as vulnerable as any other person. Perhaps, this was out of a sense of pride, or maybe this was because his confidence in his actions became brittle, and... damaged. No, it was more than that. Even now, his hands were giving that subtle twitch, like as if an alcoholic forgot to drink alcohol for an entire week after drinking for years. He could feel the intense emotions from before; and, it felt horrible.

Jaune sat down, back against a brick-wall, his eyes only seeing the orange skies from above. His breathing became slower, like as if Jaune decided to listen for a lullaby in the distance. A lullaby to keep him from remembering it all. But, no song could stop him from remembering what had happened. Nothing could stop that feeling of guilt; so, what could he do? What could he do now?

Nothing.

Just... nothing.

He hated feeling invulnerable, weak, partially because of his pride. He'd spent so long being this strong, powerful, efficient guy who'd been so sure of what to do. The only thing guiding him on Remnant was the idea of fighting against Salem, Cinder... anyone who'd get in his way. It had been a blind charge of faith, not knowing what'd happen thanks to a lack of consideration, and now this was it. This was the present time, now. God, it felt _so, so_ tempting to use Gamer's Mind and never turn it off. To forget about those feelings, to just be a perfected fighter, someone who'd be capable of stopping Salem without hesitance. But, it was terrifying. How could he let himself turn into a husk? Some person who'd want nothing but a goal, who makes the same mistakes as before, someone without anything to dream for?

And suddenly, Jaune heard a series of soft, slow steps that neared him. A shadow, a small shadow, that kept getting closer to his location. And the tap became a normal step, and eventually, thanks to his enhanced perception, it felt like a roar. But at this point, Jaune wasn't fazed. When a person gets used to the most ridiculous of circumstances; and, even worse... they change. People change. It's like people on a raft, heading towards a river. As they go down the river... they change. They do new things, they think new things, they say different things, and all of this combines into a developed person.

Jaune shot the individual a glance. "Who is it?" Jaune asked, letting his voice show how exhausted the Arc was.

It was Dr. Oobleck. A frowning, saddened, tired Oobleck, who'd been drinking out of his thermos for a long time. "Hello, Mr. Rat, or should I call you ?"

"Mr. Rat, please." Jaune spoke with an empty, hollow voice. "I don't think my family appreciates a terrorist, doctor."

Dr. Oobleck nodded slowly, not even moving fast or speaking quick at all. "I doubt any family would appreciate a terrorist, Mr. Rat." Oobleck shook his head. "Nor do you, if the guilt, doubt, and exhaustion on your face is genuine."

Jaune nodded. "I'm just..."

Dr. Oobleck took a sip from his thermos. "Guilty? Scared? Tired?" He'd guessed, sighing when Jaune nodded. "Mr. Rat, I don't know why you'd started your crime spree, nor do I know why you killed so many people that you're higher priority than Torchwick, himself. But... I just want to know why you did it." He asked quietly, speaking carefully to not alert the rest of them.

Jaune wasn't amused by the unsubtle attempt to get information. Hell, it wasn't even an attempt. What sort of idiot asks a criminal to talk about their past? Oobleck seemed to be genuinely wanting to know of his reasons, despite the obvious lie, so perhaps... he could mix some information up. If Ozpin was convinced that the Rat was a terrified, amnesiac _Arc_ then he'd always be a last resort to focus on if things went to shit. And besides, it wasn't like his mood was the... greatest of moods.

Maybe, just maybe, he had been missing the days when he could talk with someone about things other than 'crime, stealing, and more crime.' Nowadays, just as Mercury finely admitted, his entire life revolved around being a criminal. It revolved around being the guy who'd make morally unethical choices for a greater future, and well, what was the alternative? Have Oobleck force him to talk about what had happened? As tired as Oobleck was, Jaune wasn't at his peak performance and even then, Oobleck'd be able to beat him easily. The man was a monstrous fighter, on par with Port, which made things a little more worrying than usual.

But, if it meant making a plan to get out of RWBY/JNPR's way...

He sighed.

Jaune put his hands down to his pocket, summoned his inventory inside of that pocket, and pulled out glasses and a bottle of red wine. "Want some? It's a long story..." Oobleck paused, before shaking his head. Oobleck drank coffee from his thermos, and the two of them sat against the wall, facing the exhausted sky. "Well, probably not by your standards when it comes to history lessons, Doctor." Jaune gave an empty chuckle, but the only expression on Oobleck's face was pain. Emotional pain.

"So, what's with the cup and the bottle?" Oobleck asked.

"Semblance." Jaune lied.

It must've been hard to see one of your students turn from a whiny, enthusiastic, sarcastic kid into one of the world's greatest terrorists. It must've been harder to watch as he caused the deaths of so many people, and to see him so bitter and tired...

Oobleck shook his head. "Considering we won't get in Vale soon, I suppose we can talk a little about what'd happened."

Jaune sighed. "Truth-be-told, Doc, I'd worked with Torchwick since the beginning of the first term. I was just a delivery boy, and the two of us wanted to sort out the last of our deals. Things, normally, would've been fine. They should've been fine, Doc. But, one of the greatest bosses in Vale noticed my rapid development as a huntsman. Oobleck, it was ridiculous. One moment I was unable to fight against multiple Grimm, and now I was capable of fighting multiple students soon after."

Jaune didn't bother to sip from the cup, he actually grabbed the bottle and drank from it. "At first, it was just simple robberies. As an Arc, despite my... incident, I still thought robberies were something I'd never do. You should've seen me on my first robbery, Doc, it was like a dumb-ass possessed the body of a professional and decided to try and rob a simple shop. But, then one day, I was ordered alongside two of my colleagues to infiltrate a SDC facility, and it spiralled from there."

Jaune hesitated to speak, and Oobleck sadly gazed at him. "I'd been so focused on that fight, you know. All of this time, I felt like the weakest, most piteous, worthless person to ever live on Remnant. I felt like a replacement, not a person. And I tried so hard to convince myself that I was better than that; so... I became worse. I almost killed Blake, and if it hadn't been Blake, I'm sure RWBY would have lost a member after that fight. I hated myself for what I'd done. I did, for a very long time, I despised myself. I thought about not running away, I thought about stopping myself from committing crimes, but I couldn't do either. I couldn't leave the others alone to save myself and I'd never have to take down VPD officers in a fight, so I just…kept going. What the White Fang did, what I saw them do, to humans and all of those innocents…I hated them, but I kept committing crimes no matter how much I didn't want to."

"But, how did you end up believing that it was all worth it? That the deaths of so many people were justified, necessary... even needed? Not all of the members in the White Fang wanted to work with the group; look at Tukson—" Jaune took a deep breath, looking away from him.

"Tukson tried to leave the organisation, and leaving the White Fang meant dying." Jaune interrupted. "He wanted to go back to his family in Vacuo, you know. He just wanted to be with his family, again, and he was murdered for wanting to leave an organisation. An organisation that'd been in peace when Tukson had joined." And with that finished statement, Jaune crossed his arms.

"Wait, how do you know that Tukson had a family in Vacuo?" Oobleck asked, subtle eyebrows raising in suspicion.

"After leaving Beacon and running away from my family, I'd slip in another disguise and be a regular customer." Jaune lied without any hesitance. "Tukson used to talk all the time about his family, well, when we were alone anyways..."

"Strange, you must've been close to Tukson if he wanted to talk about his family with you." Oobleck remarked.

Jaune nodded. "Yeah, I guess we were close." He whispered quietly, taking a long sip from the bottle again. "Anyways, I never wanted to do this, Doc. I can't remember how many times I've woken up and wished it wasn't like this, even if I've become far stronger than I would've been if I hadn't decided to be a criminal. And well, I was forced to kill, right? When you kill someone, you're never the same person you were before. You can kill as many Grimm as you want, but killing a person... that's an entirely different story." Jaune blinked, trying not to break down.

Oobleck wrapped his hand around the almost empty bottle of red wine, asking non-verbally if he could take it away. Jaune gave a slight, tired shrug.

"I'm just... tired." Jaune admitted. "I can't go back from this, I don't even want to be a criminal, hell, I'm too good at my job. You might wonder why I'm telling you this since we're on the opposite sides, but I'm just... overwhelmed. You know that feeling of being so overwhelmed by everything that you need to talk to someone about it, no matter who it is?" Jaune asked, and Oobleck darted his eyes away from his. "It's hard not to feel that way when you've ruined so many lives."

Oobleck sighed. "I can't say that I believe you're redeemable, Rat, but... this is a tragedy. A tragedy of the highest standards—both you and the victims of each violent incident, their families, Vale, and all its citizens must all feel hopeless. I can't see how this isn't a tragedy. Even if you wanted to be this way, Jaune, this is... I can't find any words to describe this situation."

The criminal sighed with the shake of his head. "You don't have to. If anything, I'd be insulted if you thought I was right to..." His breath shook, and for a moment, his hands shook with a little tremor.

Jaune stood up from the ground, pushing himself upwards. After a few moments, Gamer's Mind became available, letting him clear the effects of the alcohol away. After that, he deactivated Gamer's Mind. "Anyways, don't we have to deal with the situation? It's a bit too important to cry about." Jaune heard Oobleck follow him in the silence, simply stepping forward to watch Ruby and Torchwick talk.

"And what do you suggest, Red? That we all walk into Ozpin's office and say we stumbled upon each other within Mount Glenn's underground networks?" Torchwick asked with a sarcastic look, tutting at Ruby. "Tell me, why did Ozpin elect you as leader, again? Ice-Queen would've been a better option." Ruby looked exasperated at Torchwick's remark, and the two of them heard Weiss exclaim at the nick-name.

"Well, it's not like we can't sneak into Beacon. Haven't you already done that during the prom?" Ruby asked, simply managing Crescent Rose and the bullets.

Torchwick chuckled. "Oh, if only you knew..." He shrugged. "Anyways, can we get out of this shit-hole? Neo's already in dire need of ice-cream and I need a new cane; I lost my old one when good ol' Rats decided to stick it in the door." Roman spoke with a dry tone, dramatically using gestures to sell his point. "Wait, have you been drinking?"

Jaune nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if everyone started drinking." And before he stopped speaking, Neo was already descending down the rooftops to grab a glass. Jaune opened the bottle, filled the cup almost to-the-top with wine, and filled one glass for himself. Upon offering some alcohol, none of Team RWBY/JNPR accepted, and the only one who did was Torchwick who drank in very small amounts.

Blake grit her teeth. "How dare you?"

Jaune raised an eyebrow at the surprising outburst. "What's with you? Yang, I can understand. Maybe Team JNPR, and the rest of you, but you of all people? Why would you—" Blake slapped him across the face.

"You act like you weren't responsible for the deaths of so many people! If it weren't for your actions, so many people would still be alive—!" Jaune walked ahead of Blake and drank from his cup.

"People who wanted to kill innocent citizens. People who wanted humanity to be extinct. Or, well, slaves." Jaune shrugged. "I did what was necessary."

"It wasn't right to kill so many people!" Blake remarked, gripping her fists so tightly that they shook.

"It wasn't right to leave so many terrorists alive." Jaune retorted. "Now, I know you're all on the whole going to Beacon thing, but I'm not in the mood for it. And judging Roman, I suppose he and Neo are going to get Ozpin on their side. Well, at least behind the scenes, anyways. Now, I have a magical plan that'll make sure we can all save Vale, okay?" Jaune said sarcastically, dramatically gesturing in a way that almost looked exactly like how Roman would do it.

"They had children and—!"

"Oh, for fuck's sake." Jaune sighed. "Blake, do you want me to help you deal with the pieces of shit behind the scenes?" Jaune asked her, boring his eyes into her amber ones. "I do the necessary things because I have to do them. Ask me a question, Blake. Would you rather force me to spare all those terrorists and let the train hit the wall, causing a breach in Vale's systems or let me wipe the scum from Vale and stop the attack?"

Upon Blake's silence, Jaune continued. "Can you see where I'm coming from? Seeing you spout all that bullshit about 'killing people', people who've not hesitated to murder innocents right in front of Weiss of all people is ridiculous to hear. I've gone through a rough day, my head's fucked from the alcohol, so could you _please_ do me a favour and shut up?"

Jaune looked at Roman and Neo, who made sure they weren't too close to him.

"Well, you've already done that favour, so..." Jaune rolled his eyes. "Now, ready? Three, two, one—!" And at that point, Jaune threw a bomb on the ground that detonated with light. As Jaune jumped off the building, hearing the sounds of cursing and gasps, Jaune utilised Aura Adrenaline and accelerated through the rooftops. As Jaune went from one building to another, he noticed a few flashes slowly tracking him from behind, like a coiling snake. And instantly, it bashed into him, watching him tumble from one rooftop to another. Eventually, his back smashed into the building, before he forced himself to get up.

Jaune cursed. A bullet deflected from his body; and, his armour became chipped. He noticed the bullet barely missed his damaged mask, and had it broke through his aura and went through his skin then it would've been all over. It looked like it belonged on one of Doctor Oobleck's weapons, like as if it was just a clip of a metallic piece from his thermos. Regardless, Jaune began his descent through the area, simply heading towards the docks.

Jaune sighed as he went through the air between buildings, going weightless for a moment at the apex of his arc. This time, Jaune covered himself with aura, in-case he failed to lift himself in time. As he went parallel between two buildings, Jaune stuck to the walls of one glassy surface with his aura, not MP, leaping into open air at the thin edge of the building's rigid wall. Jaune's breath slowly became quiet and he was pretty sure his swinging could've been hard all-across Vale. As he caught sight of his destination, Jaune landed, but he was surprised to see someone there.

A man. A man with a helmet on his face, that was for sure. Armour covered his entire body like it was a steel casing; so much, that he couldn't even see a single patch of skin. The man didn't look like one of Atlas's latest advancements in robotics; so, who was this person? He definitely seemed hollow, empty, tired. Tired of the entire world throwing its weight on his shoulders, that's for sure.

"Excuse me, but... why are you staring at the sea?" Jaune asked with a monotone voice. "I don't want to offend you, but..."

The man turned around, and he gave a brief, subtle, pause. "I'm staring at the sea because I'm tired." He admitted. "You stopped the train, didn't you?"

"No, it wasn't me. It was—!" Jaune paused when the man stared at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Don't lie to me, kid." His tone was filled with exhaustion, like as if the man was barely holding himself back from sleeping. "If you didn't stop the train, explain why you're here. Explain why you're not at Torchwick's base, or whoever is leading this whole operation, anyways? It doesn't make sense to do something like this without coming back to your boss, first." The man stood up from where he'd once sat, simply staring at him with black holes for mask sockets. Grey armoured draped with patterns of weaponry, but the dominant pattern was a simple sword.

Jaune raised a simple eyebrow underneath his mask. "I could be spending some minutes alone, lamenting over a few things. Hell, I could be here because of you. Could be anything." Jaune admitted. "Judging on the fact that you're armed; well, would you blame me if I get cautious over a person in a mask?"

"No," the man chuckled. "I suppose not. I'd have thought you were an idiot if you weren't cautious. But... I don't think most idiots kill innocent people." His tone became deeper at the end, but, what was noticeable was the fact that his voice became aggressive. "I don't think most idiots want to kill innocent people."

Jaune stroked the revolver in his pocket. "No, they wouldn't want to kill innocent people. That's because most people have decency."

"You do realise that you just insulted yourself, right?" He deadpanned.

Jaune shrugged. "It'd be more of an insult to myself if I lied about not being a decent person." And with that response, the person he was talking with seemed to shake his head, before standing straight. Instantly, Jaune stood straight as well, gripping his weapons tightly.

"Just... who are you?" Jaune asked. "I don't think you were here because of chance, if anything, I'd say you're here for me."

The man chuckled. "I don't give introductions to people that I'm going to deal with." And in that instant, Jaune brandished his weapons and watched the man brandish his own. They were long-swords, definitely swords anyways, and there seemed to be wrapped chains around the front, keeping the entire structure together. Grey, simplistic, but sophisticated and efficient.

"Fair enough." Jaune sighed. "It's a shame that we have to fight."

The man nodded. "It really is."

He rushed him by way of replying.

The man reacted quickly, the chains whirling around him at a speed he couldn't track.

But, he had no choice. Was there even a choice in this—a choice in a situation where you were in front of someone who was trying to kill you? Well, for him, it just felt like it wasn't worth it. Every single step forward seemed to give his ribs that amplified pain, so it wasn't long until chains were wrapped around his body and seemed to crush his skin. Jaune gripped the chains tightly, simply stabbing his daggers into them to electrocute the man. The man was struck by electricity; but, he only shook for a few moments.

With enough time, Jaune forced himself away from the chains, watching them whine with a metallic hiss. The masked man didn't even speak, nor did he look fazed at all. It must've seemed like a game—made by them—their actions dedicating the world around them. Each turn gave them enough time to interact with the world, such as throwing a chain at the person in front of them, and having that person counter by impaling their daggers into those very same chains. As Jaune descended down the chains, the man flipped them like it was something familiar, making Jaune turn his descent into a headstand, landing behind the man.

There wasn't any adrenaline like the previous fights, nor was there a sense of purpose. It felt like things didn't even matter, like kicking at your opponent's face didn't matter, nor did the fact that your opponent perfectly blocked it and countered with a savage whip of chains. Two tired, bitter, and guilty men were fighting for their own goals. Goals, desires, things they wanted to happen. And the actions that led to those things were some of the reasons why they kept shooting at each other. Bullets, chains, dust, projectiles... Jaune and the masked man kept shooting at each other. Yet, Jaune couldn't help but have this... odd feeling. A feeling of exhaustion that kept telling him to give up—like it knew this man kept holding himself back.

Jaune didn't even have the energy to be angry, nor did he have the energy to snarl at him. The two listened to the ambient waves; for, it kept the peace around the area. The only things that were disturbing their peaceful port must've been the sounds of metallic screeching, Jaune's small, tired, breaths and the man's sigh of disappointment.

Maybe it was the screaming of the White Fang members in his head, or Blake's remarks that kept creating doubt in his mind. But, there was something about this fight that kept wanting him to stop fighting, like the fight shouldn't even be fighting between them. Maybe it was Oobleck's statements about Tukson, or was it the fact that he had to listen to people begging for another hour of living with their own children? These things... it kept making his daggers shake with an iron-clad doubt—some element of disturbance forcing him to slowly snap.

"Was this worth it?" The man asked, gesturing around the area. "Was it worth it to kill so many people in Vale's skies? Did you think killing my friend's cousin was a means to get the money? The documents in Vale's Vault?" His voice became slowly angered, like a valve was slowly loosening. "Was it?"

"I did what had to be done!" Jaune snarled. "If it meant doing all of these things for the sake of what was needed then being the Rat was worth it!" Jaune roared at the man; but, a subtle quiver in his voice told the man that he didn't believe his own words.

"You don't even believe your own words," he growled. "You're just some worthless piece of shit who wanted to hurt everyone for themselves, just like that Torchwick fellow who wants to ruin Vale if it meant getting everything he wanted!" His voice increased into a roar, and Jaune's fists shook from so many emotions. There were so many emotions on his face that they were mixed—uncertainty, hesitation, fear, worry, frustration, anger, sadness—and Jaune realised just how fucked this situation was. The situation, the repercussions, the consequences... really, he was just as scared as everyone else. He was emotional—pained and tired and angry and everything else that could mean—and faced with all of that, he could do only someone like him could do.

He lost it.

The structure of the place became fragments, like a whirlwind had destroyed the area around them. He descended through the area, and he felt his daggers slam against the man's long-swords so hard that some cargo were pushed back from the force. As his arms shook from the pain—a pain so horrible his arms were struggling to move—Jaune pushed against the man's swords. One slash became two, two became four, eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four... Jaune stopped counting how many times he lifted his daggers and sent them hurtling down at the man. It kept coming and coming and coming—

Suddenly, the man gripped his arm, forcing him to gaze into the blue, blood-shot eyes that he'd been acquainted with months ago. Another hand gripped his mask tightly, so tightly, that it started cracking. Jaune's breath caught itself in a world of emotional shock; and, it was enough to make him shake. The enduring silence screamed across silent waves until the only thing he could feel was pain.

Pain. Jaune was sent hurtling back by an intense punch, and it looked like he was almost flying. He was sent through various walls, each giving him an amplified version of the pain he'd felt before. He couldn't bring himself to scream, nor did he bring himself to let a single sound crawl from his pained throat. By the time Jaune had been sent hurtling through the fifth wall, his black mask broke, simple shards on the concrete floor. At the end of the deceleration, Jaune tumbled to a stop, simply stopping with the screaming of two daggers.

Jaune stood up, barely holding his weapons as he looked at the man. Emotionless, efficient, deadly. Those words described the person who was running towards him at an incredibly quick speed, forcing him to block with two arms folded. He was fast now, faster than he'd been before, but not quick enough to not perceive—the distance between them was rapidly decreasing. It was an important factor; if he couldn't strike at the correct time at the correct distance, there was no chance in winning against the masked man. As the chains struck like lightning, they scraped against his forearm guards with a scream. Jaune jumped back and danced away with two steps, simply swerving in the air to avoid a series of chains.

As he danced back a second time, one long-sword bit deeply into the concrete. As it did, he caught the sight of a glimmer in the air, light reflecting off something very slight and subtle—so subtle that he barely noticed the glimmer. The glimmer extended from the blade itself, forcing Jaune to duck underneath the sudden beam of metal that appeared afterwards.

Semblance, he realised before abandoning the thought and continuing the evasion. It was strange for the man to reveal his semblance so soon in the fight; but, this must've meant he wanted to end this fight quickly. A moment after the first chain landed, the others adjusted, angles twisted as tips turned towards him, like he was controlling the chains themselves. He swerved slightly to let the second chain pass his face—ducking at the last moment to avoid the chain that swung back from behind. Kicking the chain upwards, he grabbed it and swung it down. However, the man smirked, hurtling it towards him as an attempt to drag him.

Jaune let go soon after that, flipping over a barrage of chains that appeared from the ground. He skated a few steps back to let the third chain land to his side; and, leaping over the tomb of metal which rose from the grey floor. When a dagger smashed against a metallic chain, both pulled back and lurched soon after.

Half of his mask was shattered; well, completely ruined. The other half barely stuck to his face, the remaining latches keeping its damaged structure together like weak wires holding a brick wall. He knew his MP ran out from that single punch, and by the end of the descent, Jaune's aura had shattered from the sheer strength of that punch. Using his weapons to stand up—with far more effort than before—Jaune stood up with a slow shake or two.

Jaune couldn't react to the sword that rushed through the air, rather, the man who began his descent through the area. To him. The world seemed to shatter from this man's power; which, had stopped him from breathing. Stunned. That was the only word capable of describing how he felt about this man; and, a substitute would've been invincible. All-powerful. Omnipotent. God-like.

And yet, the man stopped at the very last second. The force from that lunge forced the air to blast against his body, pushing Jaune back a little. Still, it felt like the man played with him—as if he wasn't even worth fighting. Somehow, someway, Jaune didn't feel angry at that. If anything, he felt resigned and accepting, knowing he'd lost. The man before him was too strong for him, and soon... it'd be time to go.

But the man seemed to shake in some sort of emotional doubt, seemingly surprised by what Remnant presented him. Jaune heard the man whisper to himself, but he couldn't understand what the figure kept saying. What was he saying? It confused him; wasn't he unforgivable for what he'd done? Wasn't this man trying to kill him?

Then, it'd hit him.

 ** _[Name: ?]_**

 ** _[Title: Defiant One]_**

 ** _[LVL: ?]_**

 ** _[HP: ?]_**

 ** _[MP: ?]_**

 ** _[SP: ?]_**

 ** _[STATS: ?]_**

It'd been so long since he'd ran away from the Arcs. Days had turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, months turned into what felt like years, but they were only months. And yet... he'd almost completely forgotten about how he was Jaune Arc, not Jaune. A strange, almost unknown, feeling of familial happiness found itself inside of him, but he ignored the feeling. It was too late for him, well, for dad... no, Nicholas, to forgive him.

"You can't be Jaune." He whispered, and the man looked like he was denying himself from seeing the truth. "You can't be that amnesiac boy; no, it's impossible. There's no way you're an Arc..." His voice shattered into a plethora of emotions—sadness, disbelief, anger, shock, exhaustion, relief, unknown emotions—and he looked at his hands. "You can't be him."

The masked man couldn't find it in him to speak.

"I wish this wasn't happening," Jaune's voice became quiet. "I never wanted this; well, never even wanted to get involved. But, life just isn't fair, isn't it?" He took a long breath, giving a forlorn smile. "However... these things happen. And well; if I were you, I'd deal with the situation at hand." Jaune's voice decreased to hollow sounds; but, he refused to stop looking in the man's sockets.

"What can I do?" The man spoke quietly. "You're a murderer, no, you're known as the bloodiest killer of this generation. How am I supposed to look in your eyes, knowing you're the son of a family who has protected Vale for so long?" After speaking, Jaune looked away. "I had this image of a merciless, callous, horrible killer who wanted everything for himself, just like Torchwick and all the scum who'd plagued Vale for so long... but you're _their_ son. You're Jaune Arc. You're that one kid who wanted more than anything to be a huntsman." The man lifted his arms up into the air, dropping them slowly with a silent sigh. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Kill me? Turn me to the police, putting me in prison for good?" Jaune suggested. "It'd do a lot of good for everyone, really. You'd be decorated as a hero, a person who'd stopped the Rat, himself." He chuckled, but his eyes darted around the place, showing his emotions clearly. "Just... do what you need to."

"What about you?" Nicholas asked, his voice shaking from his emotions. "You may be the Rat, but you're still their son. Nicholas would be... I don't know how he'd react." Jaune's breath stilled from the proclamation—tears filling his eyes as a result. His emotions were running wildly in his chest; so, it wasn't like Jaune could control his emotions. "I can always make sure you can live through this, and then..."

"And then?" Jaune asked, a cough crawling from his throat as he questioned him. "Put me in prison? Have me executed for mass-murder? Just stop fucking beating around the bush and call the police. You'd be doing Vale a good favour; well, a lot more than that." He sighed. "A lot more than that..." His voice trailed over at the end, cracking with sudden clacks. "I don't think Dad would want me to come back, he wouldn't want a mass-murderer/terrorist in his own home."

"I doubt anyone would want a mass-murderer/terrorist in their own home, kid." The man subtly shook, like as if his emotions were becoming worse. "Listen, since you've never wanted to do all of this, I'm going to give you one last fucking chance." He stated finally, all emotions gone.

"What?" Jaune asked, his voice betraying the surprise he'd been trying to hide. "Are you fucking stupid? Why are you—?!"

"—Don't question why I'm doing this." The man grit his teeth, shaking his head. "I'm going to give you one chance, and only one chance, to find yourself a way out of this mess. I've heard of your bloody tendencies; and well, you're going to have to find a way out of your situation. Translation? You need to get out of Vale as soon as possible; for, if you don't? You're fucked. I have a feeling that something is going to go down at the Vytal Festival, and well, after the entire shit-storm Vale has gone through, you can't blame me for thinking this. Tell you what: if you can cut your ties to the criminal underground by the end of the Vytal Festival, I'll spare you. I'll never come after you again unless you _really_ fuck things up. But, if you don't?" His voice became deeper, and the entire area shook from the man's aura.

 ** _"You'll end up just like the lads in the VPD: six feet under a grave-stone."_**

As soon as the horrendous pressure appeared, it disappeared. Jaune must've almost hyperventilated on the spot from the sheer power this man held; and, it prompted chills down his back. Suddenly, the man stood up, slipping the rest of his equipment back in their regular positions, simply darting an eye at him before walking away. His heart pounded every time the man took a small step on the concrete; and, he watched him go. One second turned into two, two turned into four, six, eight, twelve, twenty-four... it felt longer than twenty-four seconds. He'd been beaten, utterly decimated, completely ruined like the job didn't take any effort to accomplish. At all.

And of all the things that upset him—whether if it was his damaged pride, how terrified he'd been of _that_ man, or the fact that he'd been ruined—what upset him the most was the fact that he'd been right. The only reason why he was still alive was because of his status. Jaune Arc was known as an _Arc_ ; if he'd been any other person who'd be living in a random house in a random street, he'd be dead. And perhaps, that reason was why the man seemed so frightening, he'd done what most people couldn't in a matter of minutes. He'd completely ruined the Rat.

But, despite knowing that he'd failed to beat his opponent, there were still positive things to focus on. He managed to stop Cinder. He stopped the _Breach._ He'd saved so many lives today by killing many White Fang members, completely decimating the Vale Branch's manpower. The best thing about it? Cinder didn't know _who_ stopped the train. This plan completely worked; and, the greatest thing about it was that everyone helped him pull it off. See, here's the thing: if he'd lost, the train would've been stopped. If they won, he would've stopped the train. The only possible way the plan could've failed was Torchwick/Neo stopping him from deactivating the train, and even then... it wasn't like Roman and Neo were at their best. This was the best scenario possible because not only did he stop the train, but Cinder wasn't sure about who stopped the train.

And as for the White Fang member who'd sent Ozpin the information? Well, the person who'd been framed is dead, so... nobody could do anything about this.

However, he still felt doubts in his mind. What if he wasn't strong enough to stop Cinder? What if he couldn't stop the second Breach from happening? All of these doubts had been silenced from the beginning, well, until the SDC incident. Thanks to this unknown agent... they were alive. The emotional conflict that had been hidden all of this time was now screaming at him. It screamed, and screeched, so much that his hands were shaking from the emotional distortion.

He felt bitter. He really did.

But, he couldn't give up.

There was no turning back.

* * *

 ** _Stat Sheet_**

 **** ** _Name: Jaune Arc (The Rat)_**

 ** _LVL: 53_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 5350/5350_**

 ** _HP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _MP: 5427/5427_**

 ** _MP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _SP: 5427/5427_**

 ** _SP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/54,775_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 34/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 29/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 29/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 57 [65]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 59 [67]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 65 [70]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 52 [57]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 8/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	31. 31 - Take A Bow

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _"You can learn more from a single lesson of pain than one hundred lessons from anything else."_**

* * *

 _Nicholas, Juniper, and he stood together, looking at the buzzing rain. The rain that kept dabbing the roof with patterns of circles; henceforth, giving the area around them a peaceful style. Peace. Wasn't that something? The men and woman hummed, simply hanging by the wooden door with a soft clasp, watching the hissing drops seek their place down on the fulfilled grass._

 _"Dad," Jaune spoke, watching Nicholas turn to him. "Why did you want to be a huntsman?" He asked, and Jaune watched as both Juniper and Nicholas looked at him with a contemplative glance._

 _Juniper gave a quiet, silent sigh that only Nicholas perceived out of the other people within the relaxing room._

 _"I chose the occupation because I liked protecting people," Nicholas spoke softly, no lies hidden within his statement. "Why did you want to be a huntsmen-in-training, Jaune?" Asking him that question, Nicholas crossed his arms with a silent, but curious, gaze. A glance from Juniper seemed to convey a subtle arousing interest._

 _Jaune sighed. "Being a huntsman is the only purpose I have." Juniper and Nicholas sipped from their cup of water, and Jaune stirred his warm cup. "It's the only thing that'd be... purposeful. Helpful. Contributing." Darting his eyes away, Jaune didn't notice the glances of sympathy on their faces. "I didn't have anything else to do."_

 _Juniper shook her head. "We're all hunters because we're Arcs." She bluntly said. "If we weren't Arcs; well, we'd probably be in different jobs..." Her voice draped, decreasing to a silent tone that sounded bitter._

 _Jaune stirred the cup with a spoon, shaking his head. "It's not like we had any other choices, you know. We're too damn caring for our own good." The joke prompted the others to chuckle, and Jaune felt a sigh climb out of his own lips. "Besides, Remnant is Remnant."_

 _"Do you wish things could turn out differently?" Juniper asked; but, they interrupted her with a silent nod._

 _'I always wish things could turn out differently.'_

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

His were the hands that wielded power carefully, _slowly_ , pragmatically, but wielded it all the same.

Ozpin was almost always unwavering; and, it wasn't surprising. When it comes to staying calm, everyone could reach a point where they couldn't handle watching things go by, giving their calloused hands a tight grip when things went too far. Eventually, life did go far. Further, than anyone had expected, further than _he_ had expected. And sometimes, people snap. Others just throw everything into the situation and end up hoping to not receive a bad hand. Ozpin wasn't an exception when it came to those behaviours.

Within countless gears with countless sounds of clanking, Ozpin stood silently, walking across the room and back with a contemplative look. A rare, almost unbelievable, show of stress appeared on the man's face, but it disappeared when Ozpin took a sip of his coffee. Sweet, not too soggy, sugar helped him stay awake. Black bags were under his eyes, a sight not-too-sore for anyone's eyes but its rarity gave the man questions. Questions from people like Goodwitch, Ironwood, and even the Council. They were all concerned with his health; but, Ozpin wouldn't have it. After all, why would he rest when Salem and the Queen were planning to get the Maidens?

Ozpin stood still, shooting contemplative, if not forlorn looks at Vale. The city had suffered from the crime sprees it had been infested with, and anyone who walked to the brief, sophisticated end of Ozpin's office could've made as many comments about the pretty, but saturnine depths below. There were no figures stalking his halls, nor were there any council members on his communication systems having an _enthusiastic_ speech about 'Vale's safety' when they were arguing over matters that were trivial compared to Vale's status. For now. After all... Glynda wouldn't give up on him, neither would Qrow. Ironwood was an unnecessary complication with his military power (an ironic mistake from the General); and, Vale was paranoid. Paranoid, frightened, tired, exhausted, angry, _sick_.

Ozpin ran his hands, both pale, through his hair letting out a long breath he had been holding as he read the report. Things were not going his way. He had expected many things to happen, and the Queen stealing the documents had been one of them, but what he hadn't expected was the Rat stealing them. He didn't like wildcards, people who could be sacrificial pawns if they weren't pushed too much but horrible to deal with when they were.

It was a disaster. An officially _missing_ Beacon Academy student was going by the name of 'Rat', causing distrust in the government, so much property damage, so much death and he'd left little evidence. The VPD hadn't gotten any closer to arresting Rat, despite the man killing multiple squads, despite confronting the man so many times. And now? Rat vanished.

A few worthless pictures, broken pieces of wiring, a witness who claimed to see him but had nothing helpful, an ingenious plan, and a missing Bullhead were all they had to solve the how and why angles of what made the criminal tick. And despite what felt like years of figuring the man, he was only a little closer to shutting his operations down. There were only a handful of people who were _this_ difficult to deal with and most of them were aligned with _her._ And the majority of those people were stuck with her; so, figuring them out was inevitable.

Regardless, people were blaming the government for this, claiming it was all an inside job, the conspiracy theorists had cracked under the VPD massacre and were throwing theory-after-theory at the government. People were trying to take advantage of the bank by using insurance fraud as an excuse, the stocks of the security companies were plummeting to a record-low, and the people from the bank were freaking out.

Ozpin had visited the crime scene himself over and over, but neither he or the VPD could deduce where the man was. It seemed like the bank had willingly let him in and watched as he took all the money and the documents, leaving with no opposition in his way. But, he knew better. He knew _how_ Rat managed to infiltrate the bank, it wasn't a definite answer, but it was a close theory.

But, that wasn't important right now.

And what was important? The fact that Jaune Arc found out the existence of the files? That he stole them under the noses of every single person in Vale? That he was responsible for the deaths of so many people? That he _stopped_ the train from causing a city-level breach into Vale's systems and left many of the Vale Branch's White Fang members to be slaughtered? Thankfully, the files hadn't been leaked, but it wouldn't be too long until someone tracked the man down and tried to get the files. It was only a matter of time.

Ozpin's intercom fizzed to life as the almost stilt voice of Ironwood came over it. "Ozpin, we need to talk. Are you available for five minutes?"

"Of course," Ozpin nodded. "Are you going alone or are you bringing Ms Schnee?"

"I'm alone," Ironwood confirmed. "Is Qrow available?"

Ozpin raised a perfect, but gentle eyebrow at the question. "I'm afraid not. Qrow's been having a few drinks from the Crow Bar." Ozpin released a chuckle underneath his breath, giving a small head-shake in amusement. "He's definitely going to drink the entire batch they have by the end of the Vytal Festival."

Despite the subtle chuckle, Ironwood kept his poise. "Qrow has always been enthusiastic when it comes to drinking; but, this situation is too dire. I'm afraid." Ironwood stated with a crisp tone, before continuing. "I'll be there soon."

The intercom turned off; and a moment later, there was a polite knock. "Come in, General. What do you want to talk about?" Ozpin asked, and he looked at the man who just walked in the room with silent steps. Ironwood kept his poise with an admirable grip, one that could've been described as iron-clad.

"There's still no sign of that criminal, Ozpin. All of Atlas's machines and the VPD are looking for him, but nobody has found him." He spoke, crossing his arms with a heavy sigh. However, after that sigh, he pulled out a black folder towards Ozpin's desk. The latter started to read, refusing to lose his composure at the situation. "We've been trying to find any clues for the whereabouts of the Rat, or to us, Jaune Arc. And there's almost nothing."

"Did Torchwick say anything about that partner of his and the Rat?" Ozpin asked, stirring his coffee slowly.

Ironwood shook his head. "Torchwick is the kind of man who'd never spill any information about his partners, and this is a man who's been known to abandon anyone to survive. It's obvious that Torchwick is hiding something about those two; but, he didn't say anything." Ironwood looked out the dreary window, shaking his head. "He managed to get away again."

"It's entirely possible that Juniper Arc and Jaune Arc are connected," Ozpin stated. "Even Nicholas has decided to take matters into his own hands, and that man always talked about never losing faith in the authorities."

"People change when they find out that two of their children go missing in the same city," Ironwood responded with a heavy voice. "Various squads were sent to the Port when two masked men fought each other, and the citizens have been talking about how this man could be a hero. A hero, Ozpin. What if Nicholas could be brought in on this? What if he could help us deal with Jaune Arc and Juniper Arc?"

Ozpin gripped the handle of his cup a bit harder. "And let him know about the Maidens? The Queen? We both know what happens when too many people know a secret, James, it stops being a secret."

"I know that Ozpin," Ironwood spoke calmly. "But we can't be passive, anymore. What good is an army if it's just there to be exploited? You and I know that the Queen infiltrated the CCT for a reason. If we keep on being passive and let the Queen use her pawns to take down the whole of Vale, do you really think we can stop her when she's managed to complete her plan?"

"We don't need to just use force or analysis to win a battle." Ozpin quietly responded. "We can always cheat in a game if you know enough to do it well."

Ironwood raised a perfect eyebrow before his arms uncrossed with subtle interest. "Cheat? I thought you were going to stay passive in all of this." He kept his voice polite, and Ironwood couldn't help but be slightly surprised by Ozpin's devious look. It'd been a long time since Ozpin showed that expression.

It showed the moment when Ozpin started to initiate his real plans.

Ozpin nodded, giving a small, confident smile. "Do you remember when we first met, James?" And upon asking that question, Ironwood gave a small, quiet sigh. He shook his head, and Ozpin couldn't help but chuckle. "I'd say we're going to have some nostalgia when Mr Arc realises what we've done."

And as soon as he finished speaking, the door opened with a hiss.

Nicholas Arc walked in to face the two men, giving a brief nod and a patient frown. "Ozpin, James? What's going on?"

* * *

Within a pristine bathroom, Jaune walked around the area with a quick pace. Jaune had been running away from warehouse-after-warehouse, trying to find Juniper and the other members of Cinder's organisation, only to find nothing. Nothing. Where was Juniper? She hadn't stayed in the original warehouse but she wasn't in any of the other buildings. She was gone. Did Cinder find out why the train was stopped? What was going on? Why was Juniper not picking up the scroll?

Deeply, Jaune breathed in and out. Ever since using Gamer's Mind, his hands moved erratically with an aggressive shake, like as if he'd been electrocuted. His heart beat violently in his chest—a rhythm not losing its pace—and, it wasn't like his mind was doing any better. He was so sorry. He was so, _so_ sorry for what he'd done. He still remembered the screaming, the begging, the sound of skin squelching and bones being crushed. He remembered Ruby crying her eyes out as she watched him try to kill both Ren and her. But, most of all, he couldn't stop hearing the train screaming, and he heard screams. Screams that kept ripping out of a dying peoples' throats againandagainandagain—

 _'Breathe in, breathe out, Jaune.'_ He thought, but it was redundant. Useless. Not worth anything. Regardless, he had to think through this now. He couldn't let his emotions rip plans right out of his head like as if they were ripping out pieces of black tape from an old record player. Exhausted, brittle, frustrated, scared, all the same. That _man_ may have ripped buried feelings and placed them at the front of his mind, ruined his main mask and his body, but the physical pain couldn't compare to the pain he'd felt when the effects of Gamer's Mind struck.

However, there was one thing that could distract him from what felt like the hundredth time: The Vault Files.

 _'In short, the Maidens are developing their strengths nicely. The response to Amber's death allowed them to become strong enough that they didn't need an entire workforce to protect them. Their current skill-set is not by our standards; but, it won't be long until they're ready. Any leaked secrets from this potential force could cause the death of a Maiden, or perhaps incite consequences far worse.'_

 _'Don't fail them again, Ozpin.'_

 _\- General Ironwood, Councilman of Atlas._

Jaune still couldn't wrap his head around the situation despite reading through the whole document twice now. He'd expected the document to talk about things involving the Maidens, which was true, but his conclusions couldn't have been more wrong. It was crazy, it was ludicrous, it was impossible. But, hadn't he done things just as crazy as this? He, Roman's second (now officially former) henchman gets various jobs normally needed for the best of the best; and, he did them. He pulled off a crime that people called the greatest crime of the century—and now—well, he was one of Vale's greatest criminals. He was second to only Torchwick; hell, was he even under him?

Compared to what he'd done, though, this entire document screamed "troublesome."

But if everything in Remnant's situation was _this_ contrived, twisted, monstrous, then things were worse than before. The show had only thrown information about the Maidens, Cinder, Emerald/Mercury, and various other pieces of exposition that didn't show just how complicated this was.

But, there was time to use for this document, well, assuming he wasn't dead because of a strong masked person. For now, he needed to make sure _no one_ saw the contents of the document. Even _he_ understood that using this information as an advantage in unsubtle ways (subtlety was never Rat's expertise), and why was that? People would react negatively. Imagine finding out that four girls possessed powers capable of destroying entire towns with a flick of a wrist, and there was someone who wanted to get as much power as _possible._ Yeah. Nobody would respond well to this information.

But, that wasn't all of it. There were more than _some_ Maiden information in these pages; well, that was an understatement. There was more than secrets in there. Bank accounts with millions of Lien just begging to be stolen, the identities/information of spies within all countries, things which would ruin lives if their secrets were revealed.

It was almost too much to take in. Almost.

Jaune's alarm went off as soon as the time hit three o'clock in the morning, signalling that _man_ wasn't after him. Ever since that confrontation, Jaune's paranoia ascended a colossal ramp—one the size of a coliseum—so, things weren't taken nonchalantly. He wasn't acting like Rat would, nor did he act like 'Jaune Arc.' People weren't chasing after him in the physical sense, but he _knew_ they weren't stopping at looking for a single clue. A clue. Anything that could get him put into prison, or most likely, executed for his crimes.

There had been radio buzz all evening and he was sure there'd be more buzzing later. People were scrambling through everything. VPD. Huntsmen. Huntresses. Anyone who knew what to do. Bullheads operated by the VPD were shining through the streets of Vale, their bright lights scouring for any criminal, and there were other Bullheads around with recording footage. The ground traffic was an entirely different story—a great contrast—which, showed him that the whole of Vale was on lock-down. The only things that flashed across the city were grumbling machinery, exploring lights, and bright scrolls.

And upon looking at the small, black scroll in his hands, he heard Lisa Lavender speak.

The woman looked tired, that was true. With lavender hair (fitting, of course) and black bags from exhaustion, it would've taken more than her eyes not being blood-shot to convince anyone with any common sense that she wasn't stressed. Her voice still possessed the crisp, professional steel she had been known for, but a subtle look or two disproved her attempt at proving to the world, and herself, that she wasn't worried sick about Vale.

 _"This is Lisa Lavender reporting in. A few hours ago, the White Fang attempted a breach in Vale's defences via Mountain Glenn's underground tunnels. The attack proved unsuccessful, however, thanks to various members of the VPD and the huntsman of Beacon Academy, stopping the peace organisation turned terrorist group from ripping Vale's walls open. Many squads were dispatched to secure the tunnels; henceforth, the entire city is on lock-down. A few teams from Beacon fought their way to Torchwick, an unknown assailant, and Rat, fighting to stop the train."_

 _"Among the huntsman and huntresses were members such as Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl, Ruby Rose, Signal's Prodigy, and Weiss Schnee, the SDC heiress. Many of these people risked their lives to save Vale, fighting through countless White Fang members before reaching the Factory Trio, who were reported to have been commanding the entire operation themselves._

 _"Torchwick has been arrested, but as for the assailant and Rat, the situation wasn't the same. As of now, the two_ remain _missing, prompting the VPD and Atlas's forces to look for the criminals. So far, however, things have not been fortunate—!"_ A series of knocks interrupted his concentration; and, Jaune instantly turned the TV off. Jaune put everything that was useful (otherwise known as anything that didn't bring clues) into his inventory, and Jaune was already running into the back.

 ** _[A quest has been updated!]_**

 ** _[RIOT QUEST PART II: "Descending Into Hell"]_**

 ** _[Get out of here and survive the slaughter.]_**

 ** _[REWARDS:? (depends on your performance.)]_**

 ** _[Consequences: You already know what'll happen_ _—!_**

Jaune didn't care about the horrendous pangs in his chest, nor did he care about checking who was knocking at the door. But the fact that someone knew where he lived gave a reason to get him the _hell_ out. The sounds of sirens and police trying to rip the latched door apart gave him two reasons, which was already enough reasons to make him think this was common sense. Jaune could hear his panicked breathing, and from a mirror, he momentarily saw sparks screaming through the door with an electrical hiss.

Aura Acceleration had already activated, allowing him to race through the building so fast that he almost crashed into various walls. He reached the end of the building, but he looked at various robots, noticing how the police were surrounding the building. This meant that the only way was to ascend the building; and upon realising that conclusion, Jaune raced up the building with various bangs and clangs. Wood whined underneath his feet, and he almost caught his leg in a hole that was just made from his wood-splitting steps. A frown developed on his face _—a common sight nowadays_ _—did Torchwick say anything about where he was?_ It was a conflicting question to think about whilst you're being chased in a massive building, but it was important. One question became important.

Was he betrayed?

There wasn't any shock within his mind because he knew this was exactly like Torchwick to betray anyone who provided risks. But, he couldn't help but feel forlorn about the situation: he hoped someone would be loyal. He really did, but it didn't matter. The situation tempted him to mull over _their_ betrayal, but considering the circumstances... he didn't have the time to go through it.

And yet, there was a rage. He was a calamity: a deep well of warped anger inside a body that dealt death like a gambler dealt cards. He had been loyal to Torchwick: he'd stuck by Torchwick when things became difficult; he was there when Torchwick needed a drink or two to forget about _Cinder_ ; he was there when Neo needed some plants to be taken care of; he was there to save their lives. He saved Neo's life, and he'd saved Torchwick's life back at that SDC institution. So, why would they do this? This wasn't the plan! He'd planned for Torchwick and Neo to get arrested, allowing them to gain control of Ironwood's fleet and betray Cinder at that point! Did they think he was _betraying_ them?

As soon as he reached the rooftops, Jaune stared at the buildings down below to the disgusting depths of the city. There were still Faunus and humans on the streets, people who had no homes. The VPD, Ozpin, that man, they weren't doing anything. N _obody_ decided to do anything about Cinder. And the more he stared, the greater his feelings of disgust slammed against his mind. He looked at the Bullheads who were staring ahead at him with guns capable of producing bullet hailstorms at any second. Any second now, they'd shoot. It wouldn't be long until a bullet lodged itself out of a gun and forced the whole situation to go to _—_!

" _—_ Surrender now, scum!" A police officer alerted him, and Jaune tightly gripped his fists. Who, in the motherfucking hell did this piece of shit think they were? Did they really think he was going to surrender after all of this time? No. He wouldn't, and why would he? He had people to save, he needed to stop Cinder, and Salem needed to be dealt with. Jaune cracked his neck, frowned at the sight of so many officers and machinery.

However, he sighed. A few squads had nothing of value compared to the whole of civilisation.

"Criminal," spoke the nearest machine. "You are under arrest for your crimes against the Royal Bank of Vale and your terrorism. Surrender _—_!"

 _["You ran away from me, my team, your team, and everyone else!"]_

 _Shut up._

It didn't take long to rush towards the rear of the roof and jump. Jaune felt roaring winds blast past his mask, and unlike the induced panic he'd been accustomed to, roaring adrenaline replaced those feelings. Jaune couldn't help the snarl that ripped out of his throat, he couldn't help but push his index finger into the trigger of his line-launcher, and it delivered soon enough. His line launcher fired, catching a building as he began falling, building momentum into a ferocious swing. Moving parallel to the building, he jumped onto the building and he only needed a small amount of MP to run across the platform, running across the corner and leaping down to the depths below. Jaune flew through the air, feeling weightless as he reached the apex of his arc.

It continued like this for a few moments, before Jaune landed down onto a mirror surface with a descending arc, one that allowed him to slide down the platform. Jaune watched as Bullheads moved out by his sides, and as soon as they fired a flurry of bullets, Jaune already fell from the roof to face the concrete below them. As an ambient sky and bright, sunny lights lurked above them all, Jaune used his line-launcher to swing himself across another building. Twisting his revolver upwards, he fired various shots at the surrounding Bullheads, and he noticed a few clack against their armour. One bullet went in the arm of a robot, causing the Bullhead to lose control.

Jaune didn't need to watch the Bullhead descend towards the ground; since there were more important things to worry about. Jaune landed down on a concrete roof, and the sounds of sirens gave him a 'nod.' At that, Jaune accelerated across the rooftops, firing unyielding rounds of bullets against the bullheads behind him. Reloading his weapons made him panic every time, eventually making him forget that he was _Jaune Arc_. And who could blame him? He couldn't think of any reason to stop firing bullets at brave men and women, people who were working for a better future. He was the _Rat_. He was their _enemy_ , and they're getting in the way of protecting Vale from Cinder. Of course, he didn't have a choice.

These people had been quite dangerous back then, he recalled.

But he'd come a long way since that day.

Limbs shifted into guns or towards guns and opened fire, but he was already gone, reacting the moment he heard someone reload and lunging away. His daggers made their steel brittle at the touch, various ice-dust blasts from his SMGs froze the feet of various officers and other robots, but he opened fire even as he heard screams. Even if he could wield his power against all of them, it wouldn't make a difference. It was refreshing, really, to fight opponents who were legitimate, objectively far weaker than him, and he tore into machinery just as easily as he did with Grimm. It was short and brutal, blurring motion, torn limbs, disembowelled circuitry or frozen legs. He tore the opposition apart and brushed the remains off his hands when he was through.

It had been short and brutal and easy _—a reminder that despite the many horrible situations he had been involved in, despite losing against people far stronger than him, he grew. It was almost humorous._

 _So, he felt rather suspicious. Where were the Spider Droids, the Paladins, the huntsmen? Atlesian Knights and VPD officers were meant to defend areas, fight incompetent criminals or minor threats like Beowolves or Minor Ursa, combatting the threats to buy time for the main forces so that they could be dealt with. Given what he'd done and what he was doing, it didn't make sense to just have_ _—!_

Spider droids emerged from the skies above, with countless bullets scrambling towards him.

 _["I only wanted to go back to Vacuo to see my family again!"]_

 _Shut. Up._

Jaune zoomed through the streets with a fierce swerve, and he was already gone, zipping through the ground with a ferocious growl. He heard the sounds of metallic clanging behind his back, the roaring of engines blasting his ears with a disturbing hiss, and he heard more than that. More than that. He heard the sounds of helicopters zooming over the auburn skies _—searing lights burning into his eyes_ _—one that made him grit his teeth with a malignant gleam. It didn't matter who, what, or why everything within the city wanted to kill him, he just wanted them gone. Dead or alive. Broken or damaged._

He watched the Bullhead burn with a malignant screech, and he suddenly couldn't draw air into his lungs.

Screams entered his mind, the screams of those who died via torture.

Wails entered his mind, the wails of those who died because of him.

Sounds of people begging entered his mind, the begging of those who suffered because of him.

His whole body screamed with frenzy and before he was even fully aware of himself, he was running his daggers through an officer and blasting another in the face with a hail of bullets, desperately trying to dislodge them from him, unable to breathe _—_

 _NotagainnotagainnotagainNOTAGAINNOTAGAINNOT **AGAINNOTAGAIN**_ _—_

 ** _["You're not Jaune Arc, you're a monster!"]_**

Jaune gripped his SMGs and two daggers tightly, aiming ahead with a scream.

And so, with every single step, the ground groaned under pressure. A pressure that only fighting the terrible, unbearable feeling of fighting innocent people who had normal lives just like him could match. He felt so many things: but one thing that he felt the most was bloodlust. Rage pumped through him as much as blood pumped in and out of his beating heart. Rat couldn't care about the time when he ripped a robot's head off with a snarl, nor did he care about the officer who tried to stab him in the stomach with a lurching dagger. Various bullets-worth of ice dust found themselves sticking to the legs of various Spider Droids, forcing them to fall down to the ground, crushing buildings with a bang.

"Target found, missile launch initiating!" A droid said and he saw what looked like an army of machines and people descend down at him with missiles and weapons. He heard metal scraping and saw a gleaming shine that showed the symbol of Atlas as missile pads opened with a quiet hiss, held by nothing and the air blasting behind them with a sharp sound—and then he was lurching to the glassy walls with SDC symbols. He sped up the walls and ran sideways, his feet landing on a smooth surface that started cracking under the force of powerful missiles. He felt glass breaking under his body and he landed down from the tensed wind where he was sent in for a rough tumble into concrete and landed down with a clang.

Storms of bullets were pushing forward, trying to scratch his black mask, one patterned with grey streaks. Those grey streaks were from the bullets of before, and Rat had a feeling that he'd need to place more patterns on the mask after this. A feeling that was whisked away like ashes within tumultuous, screaming winds which failed to stop themselves from flying through the air. Whisked away by tempered weapons and screams of agony.

Rat opened his palms and threw what looked like an army of bombs.

 ** _BOOM! BOOM! BANG!  
_**

Running through the battlefield of bombs, bullets, and officers, Jaune slashed through the opposition. He leapt over a Spider Droid's leg and forced the remaining Droids to fire at the one he was on, allowing a Spider Droid to detonate because of the damage. This move repeated until there was only one Spider Droid left, and by then, he was hanging from the cracks of metallic armour. Those cracks were pushed in further by an avalanche of bullets sent from the guns of Atlasian Knights, their AI took advantage of unlike the officers who tried to force them off. When Jaune leapt down from the shell of a final Spider Droid, he started to cough. He was barely seeing the red screens popping up in front of him.

 ** _[Status: "Overexertion" - The body is barely stable. Using tools in mid-air will cause fatal injuries until status is changed.]_**

Using the remnants of his MP and Aura, Jaune accelerated up the walls and ran towards the nearest rooftop. Once he'd landed near a few brick walls, Jaune started to slow down and stumble to a halt, tumbling on the ground with a few cracks. He used his bloody daggers to stop his momentum, and he knew that if he hadn't stopped himself, he might've been knocked out by the collision. Regardless, his aura cracked, and his MP gauge ran out. And after that, he placed the equipment in his inventory.

He had no ideas left. He had nothing. Sure, he could use the last of his bombs, but that'd only stall the inevitable.

On the bright side? No one would get the documents, nor would anyone get his weapons.

Jaune breathed deeply, barely stopping himself from falling to the ground with a clack. He used his entire body to balance himself, puncturing one wall with a dagger. He saw Ironwood appear out of the crowd with a formal frown on his face, one that didn't reveal any anger or disapproval. He showed no emotion, and he couldn't help but be reminded of Gamer's Mind because of that. Why was Ironwood here? Why weren't they shooting at him from below? Why were the machines not moving at all? But upon seeing the destruction around him, he stopped breathing.

It wasn't a fight, nor was it a brawl. It was a massacre. He couldn't count how many metallic limbs laid still on the bloody concrete, something that only the sounds of pained screaming and twisting limbs overshadowed. But there was nothing more overshadowing than Nicholas appearing beside Ironwood with the same expressions, with Nicholas showing far more pain in his eyes than anyone else. And could he blame Nicholas? No, he couldn't blame him or anyone, really, not when there were so many bodies on the ground. They all dripped with either blood or electrical wisps that showed the owners were mere shells of what they were, mere weapons compared to the living beings they once were.

Jaune saw blinding lights, concluding that they must've belonged to the Bullheads that were trying to find him. He cursed, but it wasn't a normal curse. It was like a gentle whisper, one that a tired person would make if they couldn't speak properly from a horrible pain, he spoke with a cracking voice. And yet, even as words try to crawl out of his throat, he couldn't bring himself to speak. His throat felt painful, his arms felt excruciating, and his head resonated with an unbearable ache.

"General..." Rat's head started to slump, his shoulders sagging down to the ground. "I'd ask how you managed to pull it off, but..."

"You don't need to know," Ironwood cut in with a tired, but professional look. Jaune heard a familiar click behind his arms, his wrists suddenly felt tight. He couldn't believe it, really. Someone finally got the drop on him and now it was all over. He was dead. See, if he'd been arrested whilst Torchwick and Neo were on his side, he would've been relieved because not only Cinder would think he wasn't committing foul play, he would've ended up with access to the grids of the ship. There'd already been a few agents from the black market who were trying to solve the computer virus, but now? He was fucked. With Torchwick and Neo on Ozpin's side, there was no way in hell he could get out of the ship and stop Cinder from taking over the networks.

But, what was so strange about this was the fact that he wasn't scared. He wasn't scared of death anymore: how could he be terrified? He'd died once before, he completely deserved to die at this point, and there was no redemption for him at this point. He'd killed so many people. In a way, it was a relief to know that a horrible, disgusting person like him would end up executed thanks to his actions. But... inside of him was regret. He wished he could've done something else rather than becoming one of the world's greatest criminals. He could've used the word of mouth to encourage a massive movement towards equality, he could've pretended to be a criminal by committing bad actions, except those actions would only lead to a better future. Hell, wasn't that what he wanted? To commit atrocities so that everyone could unite against him?

Everyone heard quiet chuckles from the Rat, chuckles that ended up being a genuine laugh. He saw the snarls, frowns, and disturbed looks from below and answered with an amused glint in his eyes. Tired, defeated, but an amused glint. "I find it ironic that you're arresting me, Ironwood." He glanced at Ironwood, whose frown changed subtly.

"And why is that?" Ironwood asked, with Nicholas observing the area around them to prevent any surprises.

He was holstered up into the air, forcing him to look at the white walls of the Bullhead. "It's just that your name is Ironwood and you're pushing me into a metallic structure." Rat lied, and he didn't hear any response from the people around him. And as he was set onto the chair, locked into place with high-tech chains and locks, Rat's face did not show amusement, but rather a tired look of defeat. "It was about time," Rat stated quietly, watching the three walk out of the ship, only for the ship to close. And then, there was no light.

* * *

 ** _GENERAL IRONWOOD_**

"What weapon was that?" He demanded at once, eyes focused on the feed they'd brought up. One of his assistants flicked quickly through a scroll, but he'd already crosschecked it himself as the Fleet flew on.

"It's not one of ours, sir," A soldier said hesitantly. "It doesn't seem to resemble any other weapons that use dust. Perhaps it was modified?"

Ironwood didn't even bother pointing out the flaws with that statement _—_ that Rat wouldn't, or at least shouldn't, have had the time to invent such a thing, much less unnoticed—and simply focused on the quiet man who sat within a cell. One of his more experienced aids brought up a copy of the unknown weapon being fired without needing to be prompted and shifted his scan over it.

It was a strange round—well, it wasn't surprising to see that it was. However, the kinds of dust used to make the actual bombs were what pulled most of his attention towards the weapon. It was fire dust fused with lightning dust within a metallic shell, it had a pin on the top and two holes in the sides. Within those two holes was interior armour that must've stopped others from making the bomb detonate via impact. It was almost like...

"What do you think?" Ozpin asked, returning. He'd broken away to direct evacuation and security, as well as to make sure there were no opportunities used by the Queen. Coming back, however, Ironwood couldn't help but find his demeanour... grating. He didn't expect the man to be shaken, really, for there were a handful of times when the Headmaster was unflappable. Indeed, he and countless others drew strength from that, over the years. However strange things became, however dire, Ozpin would always be at the centre of things. He'd always know what to do.

And yet, sometimes he wished the man would react, even if he reacted just a little. With an investment of millions of lien stolen, the documents that revealed the existence of the Maidens and so much more, even still did Ozpin stand, drinking his coffee. The only sign of stress was the black bags underneath his calm, analytical eyes.

With the amount of caffeine the man drank, you'd think he'd be a tad more excitable.

Still, situational irritation aside, he still respected the man, so he answered the question even if it meant him feel like a child being called to answer a question in class.

"The armour is Mistralian," He said. "Somehow bolstered with a compound-enhancement. When it hits the ground or another object, the exterior armour pops out and lets the smoke out—it'd be hard to tell with just a glance, but I believe it has two metallic shells, shells that can alternate between each other to either let out smoke or force a reaction. Generally, I'd assume it was a compound made from yellow dust and red dust, but..."

"Rat shouldn't have had access to these resources long enough to make any adjustments," Ozpin stated the obvious, peering at the screen. "And yet he has somehow created the compound and adjusted its flaws. Not to mention, he was more... agile than I participated."

Ironwood grimaced, unable to argue the point. The MS-23 was the first of its class, cutting-edge technology made by Mistralian and Atlaslian collaborators who wanted to fight the Grimm with more... innovates methods. Despite its technical flaws, it could still disorientate many kinds of Grimm, could allow people to evade the Grimm easily, and was powerful enough to deal with most D-C class Grimm with one bomb.

But there were things it wasn't equipped for, things that should have been impossible from a mechanical standpoint, and yet it was doing those things regardless. Before his very eyes, the bombs were going off at speeds exceeding the speeds it had achieved during testing phases and when the Spider Droids were sent as reinforcements thanks to the slaughterhouse of a battle, these bombs were used to decimate them. More alarming than that, however, was the combat effectiveness the new version had developed.

As one of the men who'd had a direct hand in its development, if you'd told him yesterday that Rat would design a new version of recently packaged technology and not only made it better than before but made it surpass the revolutionary technology by infusing dust with it, he would've explained why that was impossible. He would've demonstrated why the mathematical/mechanical proponents of the bombs made it impossible to work at such speeds.

And it worried him. As a general and as a huntsman, he knew the worth of knowledge, which is why he'd participated in many of the constructions, had seen each one pushed to their limits. He'd wanted the new weapons to be as good as they could make it—and it had been. To push the machine past that level was...

He didn't even know how it could be done. Literally didn't know. They, the best minds in Atlas, and all of Mistral hadn't found a way, had thought it impossible to use this level of technology to improve the weapons. They had thought it impossible with the level of technology they had at their disposal, and for a criminal to figure out how to improve it on his own...

"Do we have anything like a positive ID on that man yet?" He asked his more experienced assistant.

The man shifted his scroll at the camera and went wide-eyed as he looked again.

"He's Jaune Arc, sir," He said. "The mask was just taken off after several minutes of handling the death-trap."

He was relieved to hear that the Rat's identity was known. He hated unknowns. Hated them. But that wasn't his concern right now; if he could be persuaded to talk, they'd figure things out. If that wasn't possible... well, there was always execution for his mass-murdering spree or spending his entire life in prison. In this case, all he needed to know what the Queen was planning, and who really was the Queen. Who were her pawns? How many pawns did she have? But, still... unknown goals, unknown powers, missing man—it didn't matter because what they did know was that he had information.

"To hear that Mr Arc was apparently the Rat is one thing, to have it confirmed, however..." Ozpin murmured as he raised his cup to his lips once more. At his sharp glance, the Headmaster of Beacon gestured vaguely at a screen with his cane. "I find it strange how Mr Arc became so competent at such a quick pace, it's unnatural. What made him progress so quickly outside of Beacon?"

It was a good question, he acknowledged, and one he'd been wondering himself. A few months ago, Jaune Arc was sent to Vale Hospital and became declared with a case of amnesia. A case of amnesia so severe that Jaune Arc forgot everything and couldn't even recognise his own relatives, which, raised quite a few questions. How did an amnesiac boy become so competent in such little time? It's one thing to have a non-amnesiac prodigy develop a unique perspective on technology and crime but it's entirely different to have an amnesiac boy who had no training prior to the incident not only get into Beacon but end up developing into a criminal greater than Torchwick. It raised too many alarms.

It wasn't something just anyone could try and expect to succeed in. It had stood out to him, though _—very much so, really_ _—because he couldn't name one other amnesiac boy who possessed such skill and drive. As disgusting as it was to see a person so insane, he'd admit that there was far more to Jaune Arc than ever before. Although..._

"If I recall, prior to the incident, Jaune Arc was rather... unskilled at fighting. How would an amnesiac Jaune Arc fare better in life?" He asked aloud. "How did Torchwick and Jaune Arc initially meet? How does Jaune Arc even know about _this_ in the first place?"

He didn't bother finishing his questions, instead sending a message to the Mistral Science Division and the Science Division in Atlas, looking for any thefts, any leaks. Ozpin waited as he worked silently, watching the skies.

In the end, he shook his head in annoyance.

"Nothing?" Ozpin asked, knowing what he'd done.

"Nothing," Ironwood confirmed, annoyed. "No reported thefts or leaks, here or abroad."

He wasn't surprised, honestly; if something big had happened, he would've been informed.

"Not knowing an event happened isn't the same as having that event not happen," Ozpin noted.

"I know, but Rat covered his tracks well, whatever he did," He replied. "We'll conduct a thorough investigation later. For now, though, it's a dead end. Still..."

Ozpin sighed. "Nevertheless, we captured a pawn, at least someone who's greater than a pawn." He raised his cup to his lips again, sipping from the hot coffee. "Besides, I don't see why we can't visit Mr Arc, himself." He grabbed his cup softly and stood up, looking at Ironwood with a thoughtful look. "Unless you want to interrogate him later?"

Ironwood stood up as well. "I was going to interrogate Jaune Arc later, but there are a few questions we need to be answered, after all. After you, Ozpin," As Ironwood became silent, Ozpin walked out the room, Ironwood following behind him later.

The door shut with a quiet click.

* * *

 ** _Stat Sheet_**

 ** _Post-Jaune vs Masked Man_**

 ** _Name: Rat (Jaune Arc)_**

 ** _LVL: 53_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 468/5350_**

 ** _HP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _MP: 0/5427_**

 ** _MP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _SP: 0/5427_**

 ** _SP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/54,775_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 59/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 2/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 67/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 57 [65]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 59 [67]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 65 [70]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 52 [57]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	32. 32 - Hiding Answers

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used on glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: Secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

"The only way to lose in life is to not do anything."

* * *

 _He tried to comfort himself._

 _He kept crying._

 _He wanted to stop crying, but he couldn't._

 _The tears couldn't stop coming after so many people died._

 _He could only place a hand on his chest as he remembered an arena of gravestones._

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

No live organism can continue for long to exist sanely under conditions of absolute reality; even happy people and determined people are supposed, by some, to dream. Lawine, the never-slumbering ship, stood by itself against clouds, holding prisoners within; it had flown so for many hours and might stand for many more. Within, walls continued upright, metal structures met neatly, floors were firm, and doors were sensibly shut; silence lay steadily against the metal and lights of Lawine, and whatever walked there, lived silently.

Most people lived silently.

Dark walls frowned on either side of the frozen chamber. The metal had been splashed with a recent wrapping of white, and they almost seemed to lean towards each other, white and bright, in the fading light. A vast silence reigned over the room. The room itself was a desolation, lifeless, without movement, so lone and cold that its spirit wasn't even not of sadness. There was a hint of it in laughter, but of a laughter more terrible than sadness — a laughter that was as mirthless as the smile of the Rat, a laughter cold as the frost and partaking of the grim infallibility. It was the masterful and incommunicable wisdom of someone laughing at the futility of... everything. Everything felt so pointless—but, it hadn't really stop him from living. After all, how could you die if nothing could hurt you? Well, there was always naturally dying, but... Rat had a feeling he wouldn't be dying soon. Not now. Not yet.

Rat breathed in, only interrupted by a sudden exhale, and for minutes (minutes that felt oh-so-long), it stayed. It stayed like this with a quiet, but persistent presence in the dark.

In... Out... In... Out...

Another inhale. Another click. Another exhale. Another twitch.

How long had he been waiting? Everything felt so distant as if even the very last moment happened years ago. Yet the struggle for calmness continued...

Would it always be that way?

In. Out.

Was breathing worth the effort?

Eyes opened once more; what was once a blinding light turned into a bitter, small spark. The room didn't seem so blinding anymore, and indeed, with hollow murmurs and steady steps giving splashes of sounds, the world became vivid once again. Eyes opened once more to see a metallic ceiling when an upwards lurch seemed to elicit a return to consciousness, a vague sense of movement indicating their owner was laid down on an airborne transportation vehicle.

Jaune blinked, making no effort to move but briefly pick out the voices of those nearby to make sure everything that mattered was accounted for before surrendering once more to the numb haze of emotions within. How long had it been since he'd been arrested? Hours? Days? Weeks? Common sense might've let someone wager that it hadn't been no sooner than days; but, he wasn't an idiot. He wasn't the kind of person to not think that anything could happen—hadn't reincarnation prove the idea wrong? Alas, he felt tired. Tired, empty... he didn't know. How the hell could you feel great after fucking everything up? After being _fucked_ by Torchwick and the worthless shits who helped Cinder and Juniper? Hell, where in the world was Juniper? Did she choose Cinder over him just like everyone else? Did she even care?

At the silent, but painful question, Jaune's hands curled into tight fists, clenching so hard that anyone could notice twitches. His entire body shook under the frigid, frost-like stabs in his arms, his bounds making him draw out quick, but silent, breaths. He could already hear steps; the pace giving off a methodical movement that kept getting louder the closer it got to his chamber. On the list of all the things in the world he'd rather not experience, regretting his capture was one of the most... prominent aspects.

In fact, Jaune was certain that along with a few other choice moments and horrible decisions, he could carry this particular moment to his grave. He tried not to think about his own death, though. There were some realities that proved too futile to face.

But even then, as steps grew closer to him, the urge to stop ignoring the gravity of his situation and everything it entailed grew stronger. Jaune had already taken the time to construct a list of everything that he was going to have to be aware of on some level. He was sure that the interrogation was on the slate, and Jaune couldn't help the slight churn of his stomach at the remainder. He was sure that he'd see execution once Ironwood was through with him; and, if he didn't die? He'd rot in here. Forever.

No chance at redemption, not that he really deserved it.

Regardless, he wasn't going to let slip of Cinder's secrets, no, that'd ruin everything. He was more competent than some average coward, even if he was now captured and unable to escape.

Jaune was angry at himself. He wasn't just angry at himself for his capture, but for the reasons, he'd been captured.

Some criminal he was, getting stopped dead in his tracks because he'd thought that he could stop Cinder by himself. It hadn't been the first time he'd been stopped, but the first time didn't have stakes so high. Back then, he made a few distractions, got the police off his trail, and started making plans for forcibly borrowing dust from random, insignificant shopkeepers.

This time, he wasn't so lucky.

Normally, if things went wrong, he wouldn't be that upset. Failures were just setbacks, minor or major failures, but recoverable nevertheless. So, the question on any person's mind (but one he didn't need to think long to figure out why), was ' _what made this mistake different from the rest?'_ A fair question, one many argue would be asked thanks to common sense, so it was easy to answer. He'd failed because he thought he was at the top of the world. Arrogance. A disgusting word that talked about the over-estimation of ones' self, of their abilities and advantages over obstacles, over other _people._ He stood tall on a fragile surface and was then slammed down with an obvious betrayal, Juniper, RWBY/JNPR, and _Ruby fucking Rose._

Torchwick betraying him wasn't a surprising move; if anything, he'd been expecting it. But Juniper flat-out choosing to support Cinder over him? That made him want to kill anything on sight. _Why_ would she choose to support that disgusting, horrible, murderous, selfish, monstrous, megalomaniac? He'd done everything to keep to himself. He'd done _everything_ to stop Cinder's plan, such as killing as many White Fang members as possible, to pretending to be on her side by getting dust for her, and then this piece of shit just leaves him in prison? What the flying fuck? Juniper and he went so far back to the point where the very first person he saw on Remnant had been her. She'd been everything to him, someone who'd been the embodiment of the family he'd left behind, and she fucking left him to rot in Ironwood's ship like he never existed. His family wouldn't have done that, would they? No... they wouldn't. They knew that he wasn't crazy.

And then... there was Ruby.

Ah, yes, Ruby Rose. Ruby Rose, the huntress who knew everything about the world. Ruby Rose thought that the world was fair, that it'd all be fine with a few stories about hunters winning and White Fang dying (some Grimm too, but there wasn't any difference in his eyes), she thought that a bad guy was a bad guy, and a good guy could never stop being a paragon. Ruby Rose thought that he was wrong, that rushing into battles without her team would help her, and Ruby Rose could see exactly what the bad guys were doing. She couldn't see that Ozpin was lying, that the Queen was Cinder, that Vale was fucked. Ruby Rose, who thought the entire world would help her out once she'd use her silver eyes, a power that Ozpin didn't bother helping her with! Ozpin was useless, Salem was irredeemable, Raven was a coward, Torchwick was too conniving, Ruby was naive, and they all didn't understand what was the right thing for them all.

For everyone, or rather, the innocent citizens who were helpless.

The more he thought about the subject of innocent citizens, the more frustrated he became. How many people did he have to kill to get Salem and Ozpin out of the way? If he failed to stop the attack from happening, so many people will die, and he was the one who was horrible? Disgusting? What about Salem, who kept murdering anything because she was created with the form of a Grimm? What about the huntresses-in-training or the hunters-in-training who blindly followed Ozpin's philosophy without thinking it over, and would kill anyone without remorse if it meant following orders? What about Ozpin, who found it appropriate to possess people and force them to get involved with _his_ problems, and even worse, force Team JNPR/Team RWBY to get involved with the fight against Salem? Ozpin and Salem did all these things, and he was the one who got the blame? Why? Because he killed people who wanted to kill him and wouldn't have died if they didn't get in his way?

At least he didn't force others into his conflicts, the cowards.

Ah, yes. Cowards: cowards were fascinating people, weren't they? They helped others but would run away at the expense of another person. Survive at the expense of another person; almost as if they were nothing to them. They were people who couldn't admit the truth to themselves, preferred lying and telling and just doing nothing. Made others feel like a friend only to throw them out when they needed to be thrown out. So, why in the living hell would this happen? He wasn't a coward, and neither was Roman. It was too bad, though, because apparently, looking at people with not enough scepticism costs you.

At least he'd learned that now.

That didn't frustrate him the most though: feeling something he didn't know he felt was.

He was filled with such a _disgusting_ stab of remorse for what he'd done like as if he should be ashamed for trying to save everyone from Cinder, from people who wanted to kill them! From people, no, _monsters_ who wanted to kill everyone! He did it in self-defence and **HE** was at fault!? He didn't kill anyone when he robbed the bank! He was **forced **to hurt people because he was considered as horrible as some Grimm! They didn't know him! Would any of these people know what it was like to wake up in another world and lose everything? To wake up and lose their friends, their family, everything they worked so hard for and their reasons for bothering to do anything? Did they lose **_EVERYTHING_** just because some insane person, clearly sick in the head, sent him here for their own fantasies?!

He'd been ripped away from one family; so, no, he wasn't going to hold back. He tolerated so much shit. So. Much. _Shit!_ He'd been ripped away from one life, forced to help other people, chose to be a criminal simply to stop Cinder, stuck with Juniper through thick and thin even when he ran away and found out she was a criminal, tried to stop himself from killing RWBY/JNPR, tolerated Torchwick and Neo, tolerated Cinder's bullshit, tolerated Ozpin's bullshit, **_and he swore to god that if anyone annoyed him now by yelling about how wrong he'd been to kill members of a terrorist organisation, he'd beat the shit out of them with a wrench and_** ** _R̷̡͔̮̲̎̄̄̽I̷̠̕P̸̛̰̍̀̅͝ ̸̨͝Ţ̴̧͍̒̒͐̈́͘H̷̢͙͎̗̤̄̈́̀Ĕ̶̖͓̼̈́M̶̗̖̈́̂̏́̕ ̸͔̰̒̈̃T̸̘͎̀Ơ̷̯̜̍͆ ̴͇̼͎͊͒̽S̷̨̤̤͙̃͂́͝Ḧ̷̛̳̠͉̘̤́̚R̸̢͖̬̄̓͊́Ẹ̷̄̂̾̋D̵͉͎̪̫̫́̋͂͋S̶̝͖̿̐͝͝ ̴͙̰̰̇͂Ḁ̸͇̦̐̄N̷͕̙͊̉́̚D̶̳̟̟̜̾̀͋͠ ̵̩͛̕Ņ̶̃̂͌͝E̸̬̽͝V̵͖̪́͋Ê̵̼͍̝͚̬̈́́̾R̴͇̀́̍̍ ̷̩͕͈̏͘S̸̰͊̑͗T̴̗͖̬͆͋̋ͅǪ̴̢͚̘̞͑̀P̵̜̭̩͈̓̊̈ͅ—̸̧̻̹̤̦̈́͛̇͗!̸̥̝͍͠_**

Rat took a deep breath, sighed, and shook his head.

No, not just that. When he got out of this shitty, horrible, mind-numbing institution, you may as well consider any huntsmen/huntress or Grimm who got in his way dead. It didn't matter if he took what felt like hours to calm down, rinse his mind with calming ideas, and positives. There had to be a way to win this, to deal with Salem and everyone else. There was always a method. Always.

There has to be a way to get out, something that'd help him get out of his cell. An unlocked cell door, a dropped key, details that could help him find his way out of this... labyrinth.

He had no ideas.

Alas, Jaune... _Rat_ shifted uncomfortably in the gargantuan cell that he'd been placed in located within Vale's clouds and tried to ignore the searing pain that burned in his wrists. Aura-suppressing handcuffs were something nobody wanted to experience; he was no exception. He may have had a few issues to sort out, but he wasn't crazy. He wouldn't want aura-suppressing handcuffs in a million years, and yet, he was on a ship in the sky whilst bounded by handcuffs.

Distantly, he heard the sound of a door hissing as someone made their way down to the area where he was held. Jaune didn't actually know how long he'd been there, but he'd been counting the visits that came. Usually, it was just a few novices who tried to interrogate him, always seeking answers with methods that were greatly unappreciated.

Three times, he'd been brought food.

Five times, he was given water.

Twice, he'd been checked for injuries.

This was the eighth visit in all, Rat reminded himself as he made himself more comfortable in the back of the cell in an attempt to relax. The last thing he wanted to do was enter an interrogation when he was already on edge. Keeping calm, however, wasn't something he was good at—a shame, because it could've made him think the interrogation was going to be easy.

"Rat?" The voice made Rat snap his head up and finally get a good look at his visitor.

This time, there were no novices. Instead, it was just James Ironwood looking at him with a curt frown, with small bags hanging down his eyes. However, those eyes were enough to make him freeze in his tracks.

Of all the potential visitors, James Ironwood was the most dangerous. Other than Ozpin, of course, but only Ironwood was here.

Rat grunted his greeting, not bothering to let himself come off via verbose or otherwise willing to talk in a situation like this one. It was an act of pure preservation... Jaune knew better than to not show any emotion on the outside. His days at Beacon, though they were rather few, had taught him this lesson. To some meagre degree, he did, in fact, apply the lesson here.

The only thing was that Jaune didn't imagine doing this with a General.

Why did he feel so afraid to face Ironwood, after everything he'd seen and done?

Rat knew why but facing it was just _difficult._

"Several dozen VPD members... and at least six armed bullhead transports taken down by some common criminal," Ironwood drawled aloud in the pristine prison along with the rear end of the airship where only he and Ironwood were congregated, "Impressive, for an ex-huntsman-in-training turned criminal, of course. I wonder how someone like you could end up so terrible." With the sudden rise of the aircraft signalling the change of direction of its motors and its deployment of aerial gear having masked how General Ironwood gave the criminal far too much time to figure things out, Ironwood gave Jaune a subtle, disgusted glance, one discerned thanks to the many meetings with Ms. Fall and her band of insane idiots.

Ironwood had felt his eyes sink when he'd seen those vacant cerulean eyes, and it still sunk further even now.

It had most certainly _not_ been the first time he'd seen a look like that, but those were the eyes of broken soldiers or hunters with minds and spirit irreparably shattered by conflict and war, men and women at least _twice_ this criminal's age, if not more. But Jaune Arc? He was but a child... _a child_... and the revelation of criminal effects on a child's psyche began stabbing the wizened man's heart in a way he almost struggled to conceal as the aircraft remained afloat and its inhabitants stayed up in the skies.

The young man hadn't acknowledged any of the other prisoners, his sight set on the ceiling with eyes that had seemingly lost a bit of their prior mania and remained vacant.

Eyes that remained vacant as Ironwood walked into the gargantuan room filled with cameras.

Eyes that remained vacant even as the mangled man unexpectedly kept himself quiet, eliciting a brief pause from General Ironwood.

Eyes that remained vacant even as he looked at the man in front of him and gazed into him silently with countless amounts of chains and tech wrapped around his body to prevent escape.

"Torchwick didn't tell you anything, did he?" Jaune asked, his voice dry, with a face marred by a blank expression. "I'd hate to find out that he told you everything, but if it meant his own survival..." His voice trailed on, lending control to Ironwood.

A subtle humming found itself emerging from Ironwood's throat. "That is up to you to decide, Rat, or should you be addressed as Jaune Arc? I don't suppose you'd appreciate being called a Rat. It's rather... insulting, to say the least."

"No," Rat paused, shaking his head. "I don't care what you call me, just don't call me an Arc and I believe we'll be fine. Now, get over the theatrics and start asking me questions, please." The statement ended with a crisp, frosty tone, one that Cinder might've cocked an eyebrow at.

"I don't believe you should give me such disrespect, _Rat_. Nor do I think you should hide everything you know from me," Ironwood spoke with the exact same tone, his fists subtly tight. "But, since you spoke so _amicably_ , why don't you start talking about who is behind all of this?"

"None of your business, I'm afraid," Rat responded with a frown. "I'm not a fan of local arm enforcement; not when they don't know the first thing about interrogating someone. You should fire the whole department since they're that bad."

"That's because they're dealing with a situation where a missing Arc is being interrogated, Mr Arc," Ironwood retorted, no changes shown on his face nor were there any differences in his voice. However, he cocked his eyebrow a little when Rat's hand shook a little. "Besides, they were there to give you the standard procedures, not interrogate you."

"In that case, are there any other questions?" Rat asked, with a raised eyebrow.

Ironwood crossed his arms. "Yes, there are. In fact, I have many questions, but let's start with the Queen. What is the Queen planning?"

Rat chuckled. "Well, if you wanted to know, why didn't you ask? The Queen is known as..." Ironwood slightly raised his eyebrow, rearing in slightly.

"None of your business, I'm afraid." Rat ended with a blank stare, watching Ironwood stand with no reaction, but Rat couldn't help feeling satisfaction at baiting him. However, if Ironwood was exasperated, none of that exasperation showed at all.

"Are you aware of what happens to a prisoner when they refuse to answer questions?"

"They're punished, isn't that obvious?" Rat asked. "I mean, I know that if I tell you everything I know, you'll either execute me or leave me to rot in this dreadful place. And you can torture me if you want, but, I don't believe you're going to find out anything unless we can discuss terms about dealing with Vale."

"Oh? And if I were to let you help me stop the Queen, what would you want in return?" Ironwood asked, an eyebrow cocked once again in interest.

"A fake death and freedom," Rat answered; his shakes stopped simultaneously. "What? Did you really think I'd say freedom and then have the authorities track me down? Only an idiot does something like that," he dismissed the idea, but while he was putting up a facade, he watched Ironwood's actions carefully. "Or, maybe, you could give me some nice robotic limbs?" Nobody missed the sarcasm.

Ironwood didn't flinch at the hint. "And you'd betray your colleagues for us?"

Jaune didn't flinch, either. "All of them, except Torchwick and his henchman. My side-kick, maybe, if it turns out she didn't abandon me for that arrogant mess of a Queen. But, of course, how do you know I'm telling the truth?"

"How do you know I'm not going to leave you in here once we're through?" Ironwood countered. "Let's say we did, in fact, collaborate on saving Vale. I'd handle the security measures of the Vytal Tournament, and what would you do? Rob a few shops? Head to the CCT and make a few adjustments?"

Chuckling, Jaune shook his head. "I doubt robbing shops would be useful, and really? Heading to the CCT and modifying data? That has to be the most stupid idea you've thought of! But, tell you what, if you get Ozpin to head up here, I'll talk with you about—"

"—About the Queen?" Ozpin interrupted, watching Ironwood and an intrigued Jaune look at him. "Yes, that is precisely why we're here, aren't we? We ask you a few questions, you answer those questions, and we get closer to solving the issue. I digress: why did you leave Beacon Academy for Torchwick?" Ozpin spoke, sending him a careful glance.

On the outside, it looked like Jaune was controlling the situation like he knew what to do. However, Ironwood and Ozpin knew that it'd only take a few more questions before Jaune cracked, but it wasn't that Jaune was cracking... after all, how would you give up if you wanted to answer the questions? However, Jaune knew that the moment he answered these questions... everything would change. Announcing to Ozpin and Ironwood that he knew about _her_ was a catastrophic risk, one that, normally, he'd rather face the Masked Man over and over to not take the risk. The consequences would be ones far too large to simply ignore; it'd be like a flood of consequences descending down to him. But, what risks were there to take now? What risks were there?

Oh, he knew that there were risks. Death. Dismemberment. Life-sentence. Execution. Torture. But, who cares? He was in a fictional world where people like Ozpin didn't exist in his world; it was like he was talking to... glass. It felt like he was talking to people made of glass, people who were just shells of what a real person could be, like for example, the people he knew on Earth. And wasn't his objective to stop Cinder, an extension of Salem, from getting the relic and ruining Vale? Sure, there was her getting the full power of the Fall Maiden, but Salem was planning to ahead to Mistral, which meant Raven would have to fight Cinder. The only problem was forcing Ruby to activate her silver eyes; that required death. So, unless he got out of here, they were done for.

But, here's the thing: failure only occurred when someone gave up. And after everything... he'd do almost anything to win. And besides, there was one advantage.

He knew what was going to happen.

Jaune shook his head; it was almost as if he was trying not to laugh. "To stop the Queen and Salem."

The whole world became silent.

Ironwood and Ozpin looked at each other, and Ozpin was, for once, not nonplussed. Ironwood could count the number of times Ozpin had been like this, on one hand. And seeing him lose his composure? It was shocking, bizarre... almost impossible.

But, regardless, Ozpin spoke once again. "You know about Salem?" He asked, quietly, almost as if he was too shocked to speak properly. "How do you know her?"

"During one of the Queen's hidden meetings, she spoke through what looked like some sort of... tentacled Grimm," Jaune admitted. "She referred to the Queen as Crimson; and, Crimson named her Salem. She just spoke with her. There wasn't anyone else around, but... I could tell that there were others working with Salem and Crimson. They mentioned other people. They even talked about finding some girl called Amber. I don't know why, though."

Ozpin gave a small frown; simply letting his eyes narrow subtly. "And this is all you know about her?"

Jaune paused, but after a while, he shook his head. "I'm sure."

Ironwood stepped forward. "What do you know about Crimson, this Queen?"

"Crimson? Crimson is a dust specialist; she uses fire dust. A lot of it. I'm aware of the fact that she has... extensive powers and could make the most experienced pyromaniac look like a joke. Intelligent, manipulative, and one of the most conniving people I've ever known. Messing with her isn't a good idea, to put it quite frankly." Now, that was a complete truth, rather than the half-truths he'd been spilling out since the beginning. Cinder _was_ impressive when it came to manipulation; almost seemed invincible because of it. If they're smart enough, they'll know that he's telling them that he knew about the Maidens. However, if they don't figure that out? Well, that's another advantage.

"Do you know where the documents are?" Ozpin asked.

"Not in my pockets," Jaune confirmed, technically telling the truth. "I can assure you that nobody on Salem's side has the documents, in fact, they're hidden in an unreachable place. Nobody has them."

"And where are those documents? Having a criminal, even if they're an Arc, possess the documents isn't in Remnant's interest." Ironwood frowned, shooting Jaune a suspicious gaze.

"The documents are in an unreachable place," Jaune confirmed again. "No one can get them unless I show them where they are." Jaune paused for a few moments, thinking about how he needed to phrase his answers. "If I die, no one has a chance of getting them, but I don't think killing me is a great idea. Too risky."

Ironwood, for a moment, frowned but kept his cool afterwards. "And you have no intention of letting anyone know of their existence? Those documents... if you've looked through them, then you know about _them_."

Jaune nodded.

Jaune looked at him, however, there was no smirk. "I have a feeling that you want to ask about the M-23, rather, the models that I re-innovated. Am I wrong?" He didn't let the tone of his voice change; since any sign of demeanour changes conveyed to the opposition that he was getting cocky. _Arrogant._ He couldn't have that happen—

The whole world screamed with alarms; red flashes travelled across the ship with beeps. Quietly, Ironwood cursed and Ozpin looked nonplussed, but there was a subtle twitch of irritation. Quickly, Ozpin walked out of the room, with Ironwood following behind him. However, before Ironwood left the chamber, he looked at one of the officers moving towards the chamber. "Stand guard, and don't let anyone come in or out, understand?" The officer nodded; watching Ironwood leave with soft steps.

And suddenly, Jaune heard screams at the chamber's exit which made him breathe slowly. It hadn't been long since he faced the officers in the skies, nor had it even been a year since he faced that librarian. Tukson, was it? It still felt longer than it really was; but, he kept himself silent even as his stomach churned at the noises. The stabs. The squelching. The blood.

It felt familiar, so familiar.

Yet, despite the familiar feeling of panic, Jaune didn't show anything. Any observer would notice that Jaune didn't seem panicked at all; like as if he was too used to the circumstances at hand. Perhaps they would've been disturbed at the implications, but, did it really matter? It was better than panicking in a situation where people were being slaughtered right in front of you. For a moment, he could even see a shadow or two wrangling about.

And then, the screaming stopped.

As metallic scraps crawled across the walls near him, Jaune took a few deep breaths. He wouldn't deny that he felt fear, terror, but what was strange was the fact that he felt... tired. Tired, but not as in he wanted to go to sleep, it wasn't something childish like that. It was almost as if he wanted to just have the mysterious person on the other side kill him quickly unless it was Neo. Or maybe not. For once, he didn't care who it was. He didn't care, not even when the scraps turned into what sounded like screaming and whining. But then, it stopped. Scraps were interrupted only by faint, gentle steps.

He heard the door hiss.

Under that black mask and blood-trodden uniform, Jaune recognised Neo. The heterochromatic figure sauntered silently; walking with a few momentous steps that kept Jaune preparing for anything to happen. There, in her face: the familiar malice aimed only for those she wanted to kill. For people like him, he supposed, since there wasn't much difference between him and the opposition anymore. What was she going to do? Would she kill him? Would she leave him in here? The former was likely, but he couldn't see her doing the latter since Neo wasn't the kind of person to commit unnecessary actions. Regardless, Jaune stared in her eyes frigidly, almost daring her to do something.

And she did something. Jaune felt his wrists twitch in relief at the lack of pressure and pain: it was something that surprised him a bit. Of course, Torchwick and Neo wouldn't have liked having following orders from someone who shut off a train with Grimm running towards them. A sigh trailed out of his dry throat, earned from many days of being in prison.

Jaune couldn't describe how painful it felt to grab the silvery walls. If he possessed lucidity, he might've described it as being drowned by the sensation, like waves crashing down onto his arms and legs with no pauses in-between. It just felt... he didn't know. Terrible? Agonising? Heartbreaking? He just didn't know. And Neo must've noticed, thanks to her grabbing him and putting an arm around him. Jaune could smell... metal? It might've been blood because that always smelled like it was metallic, but it was most likely thanks to the walls. He didn't know. He couldn't understand what was going on.

"Why?" Jaune asked.

Neo didn't grace him with an answer, or maybe, he was too weak to interpret her.

He was too weak to think at all.

* * *

 ** _HEADMASTER OZPIN_**

 ** _ENTRY 17_**

 _It has been only an hour since Neopolitan infiltrated the facility—an unfortunate incident for Ironwood, but merely a transition into the later stages of Vale's development. Rat, surprisingly, expressed a desire to work with General Ironwood and I, even confessing that his loyalties only lied with Vale and Torchwick, as well as Neopolitan. Considering Rat's identity, however, I suppose the surprise wasn't so shocking as it seemed at first._

 _Torchwick and Neopolitan have recently been brought in as... special cases. Normally, when I'm faced with a situation where a criminal is finally dealt with, I tend to send them off with a trip to Lawine, or Fort Nohl. And, admittedly (to be so frank), it was a perfect opportunity to send them into Fort Nohl and take down two of Queen's pawns. However, as many have said before, knowledge is power. Torchwick and Neopolitan were surprisingly loyal to Rat, however, they were eventually persuaded with an alternative solution, thanks to the application of such knowledge._

 _Meanwhile, Rat had been working against the Queen all of this time... a truly unexpected event. Who knew the common criminal could get away with stopping a breach and make it look like some common White Fang member stopped the train? It had been one of the unfortunate survivors; some people had a tendency to get framed, and the individual in question wasn't so fortuitous. And, ironically, it makes just as much sense for the Rat to have such a goal. Didn't the original possess a great loyalty for Vale and its hunters? Besides, it's a lesson learned: a man with no memory can be built into an entirely different person with different principles. Maybe Ironwood could apply Penny with the same methodology if the Queen deals with her._

 _Unfortunately, there are still far too many questions unanswered: how does Rat know about Salem's existence? What is the real reason why Rat knows about Salem? How did he gain a detailed understanding of the MS-23? How did Rat go from an amnesiac patient to a professional mass-murderer? How could a man like Jaune Arc turn into a man like the Rat so quickly, so suddenly?_

 _I accepted Mr Arc into Beacon because the former had expressed skill as great as an above-average Signal graduate, despite being sent so recently out of the hospital with a declaration of amnesia. I wanted to see if Mr Arc had the potential to be a huntsman, and instead, I have created a monster. Someone who'll never stop using his drive and determination for anything he wants to protect, even if he has to destroy everything in his way. Or, perhaps, Jaune Arc is just someone who's trying to save Vale with a havoc-inspiring methodological approach that simply should not do._

 _But, in the end, accepting Mr Arc into Beacon was a mistake. And sadly, it was one of my greatest mistakes._

 ** _HEADMASTER OZPIN_**

 ** _ENTRY 17_**

* * *

 ** _Reviews & Responses_**

 ** _Guest:_** I don't think Ironwood or anyone else would believe him, except Ozpin. He would've ended up locked up forever unless someone got him out of prison if he said something like that.

 ** _GamehunterMC:_** That was pretty much Jaune's reaction when he faced Ironwood, his own father, and Ozpin.

 ** _TheNightShinobi:_** A nut is a fruit consisting of a hard or tough shell around an edible kernel, and it also means a crazy or eccentric person.

 ** _LordMortem:_** As soon as he gets to be badass, he gets curb-stomped by his own dad.

 ** _Guest (2):_** The Grimm at this point are probably rooting for the V3 finale to happen.

 ** _AscendedHumanity:_** Cheers! My apologies for the late updates; I've been rather busy.

 ** _King of Tyre:_** He does eat, he just eats off-screen. It also explains why his stats change in the stat sheet on almost every chapter.

 ** _itsMARWIE:_** This guy wanted to see Jaune get stomped.

 ** _Guest (3):_** That's a decent guess: to be fair, Raven will be involved eventually. She'll pop up when she does.

 ** _Joe:_** That is what exactly happens, pretty much. Jaune goes toe-to-toe with pretty much almost everyone except Pyrrha because Pyrrha's semblance would stomp the ever-living shit out of him if she does actually use it in an immoral way.

Thanks for the reviews!

* * *

 _ **Jaune Arc - Rat**_

 _ **Stat Sheet**_

 ** _Post-Jaune Arc vs Masked Man_**

 ** _Name: Rat (Jaune Arc)_**

 ** _LVL: 53_**

 ** _Title: Seeker Of Peace (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _Bonus: None._**

 ** _HP: 5350/5350_**

 ** _HP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _MP: 856/5427_**

 ** _MP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _SP: 747/5427_**

 ** _SP REGEN: 1% per minute._**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/54,775_**

 ** _Location: Vale_**

 ** _-Biological Stats-_**

 ** _Hunger: 65/100_**

 ** _Stamina: 5/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 74/100_**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 57 [65]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 59 [67]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 65 [70]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 52 [57]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 4/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


	33. 33 - Waking Up From An Illusion?

**_Disclaimer:_** _I don't own RWBY or the Gamer._

 ** _Warning_** **:** _All warnings were addressed at the bottom of the first chapter._

* * *

 ** _Text Meaning:_**

Normal Text: Either talking when it's in speech or accounting for the detail the character experiences.

 _Italics: Thoughts - typically used to track what a person thinks of another: 'Jaune Arc, short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it! That'll work.' Can be used in a narrative context._

 ** _Bold Italics: Interaction with powerful objects: The Gamer's System, for example. It can be used for glitches. It can also be used when one person is being serious with another or straight-up trolling them._**

Any form of text on lines: Scene Breaks, recordings of when things happen, etc.

 _[Statements]: The secondary form of interaction with the Game. It's involved with statements made by the Game itself, too. Mostly in bold._

 _"Italics Speech": Used as texting when a person is communicating with their scroll whilst other characters speak._

 _ **[TEXTING] = Section of the chapter where characters text each other. Doesn't involve speaking.**_

* * *

 ** _Author Note:_**

 _This is just a standard message for the readers. I'd like to apologise for the lack of activity lately: I haven't had the greatest of luck for the past two months (got sick for the whole week, then got writer's block, and that completely wrecked my enthusiasm for writing), so this chapter is probably going to be weaker than usual. Regardless, I'd like to thank everyone for reading so far in, it is great to know so many people find this fanfic so compelling._

 _Anyways, let's get on with the chapter._

* * *

 _ **P̸o̸w̴e̴r̸ ̶i̸s̵ ̵n̴o̴t̵h̵i̷n̴g̴ ̸w̷i̷t̶h̴o̴u̶t̸ ̸i̷n̶t̴e̶l̴l̴i̵g̸e̵n̴c̵e̴,̵ ̸b̶u̸t̵ ̵i̵n̸t̴e̷l̸l̴i̸g̵e̶n̵c̸e̸ ̵i̴s̷ ̷n̸o̷t̶h̸i̶n̸g̶ ̶w̴i̴t̷h̸o̷u̸t̶ ̵l̶e̸a̸r̴n̵i̶n̵g̴ ̵f̶r̷o̴m̶ ̷m̵i̷s̵t̴a̵k̴e̴s̴**_.̷ _\- The Gamer (Rat)_

* * *

 _. . ._

 _. ._

 _._

 _Rat walked back and forth, with a pace unlike the slowest, nor was it with a pace of panic. There weren't any voices inside anyone's heads; that, he was certain of (as well as the profound feeling of relief from that knowledge). He paced, he walked, over and over again like he was rewinding a scene in his head._

 _He talked with nobody: nobody, except himself. But he didn't do it with a forlorn look; nor did he do it with a frown. The man only did rounds of thoughts in his head._

 _He stopped. Someone was at the side of the door; someone was there. For a moment, his chest became heavy, but not for reasons anyone would expect. Many people had many weapons, but he only knew of two who wielded them exceptionally, and the criminal did not want to deal with either of them._

 _His chest became light at the clack of a cane._

 _"Say, kid, you really messed up, didn't you? I wonder what fire-bitch is going to do once she finds out what you've done to her." Roman stood behind him, not even showing any hesitation whatsoever. Rat took a deep breath: and for a moment, he couldn't turn around to look at his face. But he turned._

 _"About what? Us stopping her from blowing Vale open? Something that would've caused a far worse incident in return?" Rat crossed his arms with a heavy breath, and his shaking betrayed his calm voice like a devilish advocate._

 _"You know what'll happen to us if we come to her," Roman replied with a slight grit of his teeth, "And if she finds us..."_

 _"Is she here?" Rat asked._

 _"No, but she will find us." Roman's voice grew a certain edge. "Listen, kid, you are a fantastic protege. You have the guts for crime life, but this was a step too damn far. Murdering the whole of the White Fang's Vale Branch, as much as I like the idea of killing those animals, was unnecessary at the moment: Cinder needed them. She needed us for her plan so we could survive in this shitty world_ —"

 _"—I don't care about surviving in a shitty world where Cinder keeps trying to destroy a whole city for her own benefit," Jaune snarled. "I care about making sure she, and whoever the hell gets in the way of this city, dies. Our partnership benefits your survival: I was going to handle the—"_

 _Roman dug his cane into the deep concrete, receiving a crack in return. "Handle what? Your insane expedition for saving people? You're batshit crazy; how in the world does killing people save them? Are you one of those 'for the greater good' idiots who keep justifying their actions for the sake of doing good? What lunatic thinks that—!"_

 _Jaune faced him with his teeth grinding, his hands shaking, his breath heavy. "What lunatic thinks I'm bad for killing terrorists but would kill anyone who got in the way of survival? Did you really think I wanted to be apart of Cinder's shit-storm of an organisation? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be involved in said shit-storm!" For a moment, the conversation grew silent: Jaune, no, Rat's hands twitched towards the guns in his pockets._

 _Then, his face lost the horrible fury from before, becoming the blank stare he had grown accustomed to using lately. "Just...let me finish the preparations. I'll be there in five."_

 _Roman shook his head, and tutted. "Be done in five minutes, sharp."_

 _After Roman left after a few steps, Rat released air with a single breath._

 _. . ._

* * *

Ruby Rose wasn't a morning-riser, especially when it was one of those dark mornings where the skies made her think that it was still late in the night. But, well, this was one of those days when sleep just wasn't working with her. Ruby yawned, rubbed her eyes, and stood up to grab the whistle from before to aim it at Weiss.

Of course, that was before she realised it was a Saturday, and not one of the weekdays. "Well, at least there's no school, I guess," Ruby spoke to herself, quietly. While she was normally an enthusiastic person with others, sleeping in the morning on the weekends was something she'd never put her enthusiasm in the way of. After dealing with that... well, a friend of hers from the previous week, her mood had been dampened. All of Team RWBY's moods dampened, and Team NPR wasn't dealing with it any better. Pyrrha was going through it the worst, though. Even if she hadn't known Jaune for a long time, she never imagined he'd... hurt so many people.

Ruby knew that being a huntress meant protecting people from the Grimm, that being a leader of a team forced you to make tough decisions, but she wasn't told about the situation where you had to fight one of your own friends just to live another day. It just... she just couldn't believe it. Her dream of being a huntress-in-training happened, and yet, her life just took a turn for the worse.

"So much for normal knees," Ruby shook her head, looking at Crescent Rose's folded form in the corner. She decided to leave it there for the time being; there was no use in cleaning the pieces of her scythe when it'd be too loud in the bathroom. Besides, why would she try to wake up her sis and the rest of her team? Weiss used to be so annoyed at that whistle back then, so loudly cleaning Crescent Rose would annoy Weiss far more. Regardless, Ruby looked at her scroll, unlocking it with a few taps on numbers. There were a few songs on the playlist, especially that one song she listened to when Torchwick came into the dust shop...

It felt almost like a dream, a fairy-tale, to be one of Beacon's huntresses-in-training, even if she'd been younger than the students in her year. Despite the claims that she wanted to have normal knees, to be treated normally rather than some prodigy like Pyrrha (or the Pyrrha Nikos, as most people liked to call her earlier in the year), she couldn't help but feel like it was a miracle to be there. At Beacon. At the very place she dreamed to learn at from the moment her mother told stories about her team, Team STRQ, fighting Grimm like heroes trying to save the day. And the fact that she was going to the same academy as her sister in the exact same year hadn't helped that impression, but then... her world was turned upside down.

Ruby shook her head. She still couldn't believe that it all happened like this: couldn't believe that one of her friends would just go missing and then decide to hurt so many people. It was hard to believe that Roman Torchwick, and one of her friends, decided to try and hurt so many people just because they wanted to stop someone else. It was just... sick. Wrong. How could someone kill so many people for the sake of doing the right thing? Surely, she could've done something better than hurting innocent lives.

 _"Please, Jaune..." Ruby begged at last._

 _He rushed her as a way of replying._

 _She reacted quickly, her scythe whirling into place at a speed he'd barely been able to match_ _—_

"Rubes? Are you okay? You kinda look upset," Yang interrupted the memory, shaking Ruby out of her trance. Ruby couldn't help but release a quiet sigh, something that wouldn't normally happen when you were interacting with her, but considering what happened...

This wasn't the time for thinking about what happened.

"I guess," Ruby answered quietly. "I'm just thinking about what happened these past few months, it's been..."

"Crazy?" Yang asked, stopping to see Ruby nod slowly. "To be honest, I didn't expect what happened to happen, either. It's just insane to think that the friendly, sarcastic guy ended up being so..." Yang held her tongue, and she shook her head as she brushed her hair to get it out of her face. "In a way, we all thought it to be possible, but we just didn't want it to happen, y'know? Just like when Blake found out the White Fang were working with Torchwick, things snowballed from finding out that the worst thing that could possibly happen did happen."

"Yeah, it's pretty much that." Ruby lifted Crescent Rose and put it on her lap, minding the books underneath the top bunk-bed's legs. "I just can't believe that one of our friends just went missing, only to do it because he wanted to work for Torchwick. I don't know what to think. He was such a friendly guy too..."

 _This isn't a necessary action!" Ruby glared. "Killing people wasn't necessary! Hurting your friends wasn't necessary! Kidnapping Yang and Neptune wasn't necessary!"_

 _My boss will try and kill my family, doing absolutely everything she can—in her power— to pull it off. Ask yourself this, Ruby, if you were forced into my position and you had to hurt others to keep your family safe, would you do it?"_

"When I was on top of the train, he talked about how his boss would kill his family if he didn't do what she told," Ruby remembered, tapping Crescent Rose as she looked at Yang with a thoughtful look. "But, he wasn't talking about Torchwick being his boss..."

Yang frowned. "Torchwick wasn't the boss of all of this?" She asked, sitting down next to Ruby after quietly shuffling through the room.

Ruby looked at the floor. "I don't know," Ruby admitted. "He looked like he wasn't lying, but he isn't exactly someone you would trust, not anymore. If he isn't telling the truth, then that means Torchwick is his boss, but if he is telling the truth then... what do we do? It's not like we could walk around and look for Vale's greatest criminal boss," Ruby mumbled.

Yang shrugged, simply sighing because she didn't have any idea. "That person could be anywhere, y'know. In a shop, in a bar, maybe even in Beacon. You never know what you may find nowadays," Ruby blinked at the idea.

But, of course, life didn't give you schedules for when things happened. They just sorta did happen, like for example, Lisa Lavender's report of the prison breaking yesterday due to an unknown assailant. She and the rest of Team RWBY knew it was Roman's first henchman (the second being Rat, secretly known as Jaune) but the fact that Jaune broke out too...

Perhaps, she needed to use the whistle. She could always think about who was behind all of this later.

* * *

The world that surrounded him was a dingy, ancient house within the middle of Vale's quarters. Deep within Vale, one of Remnant's four great capitals, sat a hollow house with black ash smothering it. It smothered, and covered, almost like it painted the building black. The house wasn't frequented a lot: at least not in recent times.

The room held broken arrangements of wood and brick that were either cracked from ageing or weary due to extensive damage. There were little sections of blood-red swirling on the floor, dropping down to the chasm below like rain droplets from the skies with a slow, heavy drip. Within that room, there was no light, nor were there anything that buzzed about in the environment. With a gaze within, most people would never consider living in the lonely conditions. And yet, there was someone there: someone who rested silently. A person lurked within.

It felt like a long time since the world went dark: nobody could ever tell how many seconds passed since they went unconscious, nor could they tell how many minutes or hours passed alongside those seconds. However, within the fleeting world of isolation, That person couldn't but feel nothing. But as the area around him started to shine... things cleared slowly. His vision was blurry; blurrier than any cracked television screens, something he couldn't help but notice as his body felt revulsion. Revulsion, an intriguing word, something of disgust... but he couldn't understand: what made him feel disgusted?

Almost as if the world showed him an answer; Rat's vision stopped being blurry and cleared the fog away, made it all crystal-clear again. And what was he staring at? He was staring at a black, but colourful floor, one filled with the colour of red. Red... blood. Had to be blood. There was a disgusting scent in the air, one that eerily seemed... dead. Nothing more than what a dead corpse smelled like _—_

"̴H̷o̷l̶y̵ ̸h̵e̵l̵l̸,̵ ̵m̷y̴ ̸e̶y̶e̶s̷!̶"̶ ̵Rat spoke with a croak: his eyes gave a shrill scream of pain from the light bursting through the windows above. What in the world was going on? One might ask, and the man within this... _structure_ wasn't an exception to the audience of people who might've asked questions in his position. What was going on? Why were his eyes screaming in pain? Why did he feel so crazy and... why was this feeling so familiar? His body shook like a freezing person, someone who was frigid for far too long, turning their skin blue from how frigid it was.

 ** _[STATUS: Jester's Mind_** _— **User is somewhat disparaged by their emotions/-50% STATS except INT/WIS. Major weakness status side-effect, post-Gamer's Mind effects.]**_

 ** _[STATUS: Gamer's Mind has been restored!]_**

Chills travel down his back; something he'd grown accustomed to in that dreadful fortress of a prison, it was also something to hopefully forget about. He had to get out of here. Now. Rat (was he calling himself Jaune or Rat, now? He didn't even know who he was anymore) clamoured against a wall with laboured breaths, blood-shot eyes bloodier than anything he'd seen, stumbling upwards with his body screaming at him for moving. It screamed, screeched, even burned his nerves, twisting them into torturous movements, something he couldn't handle. His right arm slumped and it almost forced his legs to buckle down with a click.

 _"Everyone deserves a second chance."_ He heard a voice say, but he couldn't hear who it was.

"̶R̶i̷g̴h̵t̶,̸ ̶a̸n̶d̸ ̴I̷'̷m̸ ̸t̷h̷e̸ ̵o̷n̸e̸ ̸w̷h̶o̸ ̵h̶a̷s̶n̴'̶t̸ ̴f̸u̶c̵k̵e̷d̸ ̷u̸p̶ ̵V̷a̸l̸e̸ ̸i̵n̵ ̶o̴n̵e̵ ̶n̶i̸g̷h̷t̴,̴"̸ Rat... no, Jaune, replied with a tinge of sarcasm. "̸B̶l̵o̴o̵d̷y̸ ̷i̷n̵s̸a̴n̴e̴ ̸t̴o̶ ̴t̸h̴i̸n̵k̷ ̸t̴h̴a̴t̷,̸ ̵t̸o̸ ̶b̸e̵ ̵f̵r̸a̵n̷k̷.̵"̷

 _"_ _I'm sure you never wanted to hurt so many people, you're not... you're not Torchwick."_ It replied, its voice hinting a shade of pity.

"We never want to hurt people, and when we do, eventually we start killing after we get used to hurting people." Jaune finished with a heavy voice; the blonde didn't want to talk with a sporadic voice in the shattered warehouse (and who was that person anyway? It was a question to wonder) and suddenly, the battered voice sounded like a shattered mirror. "Just... shut up." His voice croaked, his hands shook in return.

There was no voice.

Jaune released a sigh of relief after taking the remnants of his mask, throwing it into the inventory. Now, it felt like he wasn't the Rat anymore. Of course, well, it used to feel like that. It did feel like he and the Rat were two different people working in the same body, almost like that book about a man with two souls. Wasn't there a book on Remnant that spoke details of something like that? Oh well, it wasn't like he could even go into a shop without either being known as Jaune Arc or that one mass-murderer who kept killing people for... absolutely no reason. If he recalled, one of the older newspaper clippings talked about how 'illogical and messed up that Rat murderer was' and how 'he has ruined many lives and families in the world', but he couldn't bring himself to care anymore.

And somehow, that made him feel worse about this... he didn't even know what to call it. His heart just felt like an absolute mess and it was like as if there was nobody around to care about anymore. He couldn't remember what his old family looked like (at least not in the same clarity he was used to remembering them), he was desperately trying to remember their names, and he barely remembered their voices. He'd tried so, _so_ hard to remember who they were, but everything happened and life put pressure on his head and eventually, everything snapped around him.

He felt so angry, so heartbroken, so _horrible_ for what he'd done. It was like as if someone possessed his body and killed all of those people and spat out the remainder of what made him... _him_. This world felt fictional; a place where nobody mattered because they didn't exist as _people_. But, he was so wrong to think that way. These people felt real, like real people with real desires and real emotions. Things only a real person could have, and they all had those same feelings! And what did he do with those emotions? With Jaune? He took what made Jaune... Jaune and twisted it into some sick, horrible amalgamation of the two of them.

But it'd all been for saving Vale, right? His actions couldn't have possibly been all horrible, surely, he had helped Vale at least once! Maybe, there was some sort of silver lining that he wasn't seeing, or hearing, or thinking about, and maybe _—!_

But, Jaune remembered.

Who helped Torchwick and Neo get the Atlesian Paladin? Jaune Arc helped them.

Who saved Neo's life during that mission? Jaune Arc did.

Who robbed countless shops alongside Torchwick, completely ruining Vale's dust economy? _Jaune Arc._

Who kept trying to kill Jaune's 'friends' and tried to persuade them to think Ozpin was worse than him? _Jaune Arc._

Who almost killed Ruby and Ren on that train during the Breach? **_Jaune Arc._**

And who killed countless people during both the Vale Skyline Incident and the VPD Incident? **_Jaune Arc!_**

 ** _And none of those actions helped Vale or any of its innocents._**

The only time when Jaune Arc helped Vale was that time where he murdered so many White Fang members, and that was because they were apart of an organisation that wanted to kill every human on the planet. Jaune knew the difference between someone who did morally-unacceptable actions because they genuinely wanted to help people and those who kept putting up excuse after excuse after excuse to make them believe that what they were doing was for the greater good.

But, here's the thing: since when were there any morally-acceptable people in the first place? The morals of people, their code for what was good and what was bad; it's a horrible joke. Dropped at the first sign of trouble, and perhaps, that was what could make an innocent kid turn into a mass-murdering archer.

Jaune sighed. "People are only as good as the world allows them to be," Jaune said this to himself; it was said in a way eerily similar to a chant. Something to hold onto, to believe in, like some last silver lining to stop himself from going overboard. "Wasn't that what happened to me? To Cinder, too? Roman? Neo? Emerald, Mercury, and even the White Fang?" And there was that, the bombshell. The realisation. "What's the point of trying to care about people when they're too horrible to be cared for?"

The only reason why people were acting somewhat decently was that of their morals, what made them... _good._ And the moment someone snaps? That exact moment when someone does decide to kill and start a conflict? People start killing, they start hurting, simply because they just want to live another day. They blind themselves by giving awards for bravery, for valour, for things that won't matter down the line when you're trying to survive in a bloody world. Remnant, and to a greater extent, his former planet were places of war and suffering. People tended to hurt each other, even if they weren't born to hurt each other in the first place. Salem proved this, despite not being human or Faunus: she was practically designed to cause destruction. Suffering.

Maybe, he would've felt some form of pity for her, but that was a big maybe. Maybe, things could've gone differently, and Cinder could have ended up entirely different, or... perhaps even he might've had a chance to live a good life. A life where Jaune Arc, instead of Jaune or Rat, lived amongst other hunters and huntresses in training. A world where Pyrrha would've died tragically, where Penny would be ripped to pieces... but it'd be a universe where he didn't live. But... one thing he'd learned from all of this was that you couldn't take things back, no matter how desperately you wanted to take it all back and start all over again. Salem chose to accept what she was: a being who wanted to kill everything that lived. And, according to his own principles, she took a step over the line and started tumbling afterwards. She never stopped killing, never stopped torturing, not at all.

But in the end, he wasn't an exception to the principle of tumbling down from one bad act. Not anymore. Murdering that _scientist_ confirmed it not because it was an act of stopping someone from hurting others only to have those same people suffer (since they'd be living poor lives regardless of his actions after killing the scientist), but because that scientist, in some twisted, horrible way, represented what he was. Ridiculous to think, but if anyone looked carefully... they'd might admit that it wasn't _that_ preposterous. The only thing he could do now is walk ahead and try to help Remnant and keep what remained of **him** alive, as well as what remained of _**Jaune Arc.**_

It's almost like a bad joke, of sorts. He, a murdering lunatic wanted to help Remnant because of... well, he had nothing left.

"Almost like a bad joke, of sorts," Jaune repeated to himself, shaking his head. Jaune lifted himself up, gave his wrecked shoes a glance before standing still with a glazed look. "Honestly, a criminal should have style. Well, other than too much makeup like Torchwick," the random comment earned a chuckle, but only he heard it. And after that, he stroked his chin with a thoughtful glance at the ceiling. "You know, now that I think of it, what would it take to make changes around here?"

Nobody came to answer, to speak up.

As Jaune limped through the area with shaky posture, the gunslinger kept humming in thought. Whether they were sporadic thoughts or silent ones, they were thought of regardless and assessed appropriately. He couldn't lie about the idea; it was fascinating to think of how someone like _Ruby Rose_ or Pyrrha Nikos to snap and look at the world in different ways. It was almost like he decided to study someone carefully, of sorts.

But, then, his fingers clicked together. "Maybe, that's it! If I can't win this game fairly, maybe I just have to cheat a little!" All of a sudden, the criminal started guffawing, only to stop himself from laughing with an awkward cough. "I probably need to calm down from what happened, though." He spoke to himself with an awkward voice, still cracking from exertion.

 ** _Name: Rat (Jaune Arc)_**

 ** _LVL: 53_**

 ** _Title: Peace-Seeker (Anti-Villain)_**

 ** _BONUS:_** ** _"Last Laugh_** ** _" — + 10% INT, + 10% DEX, 10% Chance of Madness during battles/fights/certain situations._**

 ** _HP: 1160.5/5350_**

 ** _HP REGEN: 1% per minute_** ** _(% increases by 1 every 10 LVLs at LVL: 60.)_**

 ** _MP: 2305.6/5427_**

 ** _MP REGEN: 1% per minute_** ** _(% increases by 1 every 10 LVLs at LVL: 60.)_**

 ** _SP: 1955.9/5427_**

 ** _SP (AURA) modifiers will evolve at LVL: 80, or AURA LEVEL exceeds LVL 80. (AURA LEVEL = LVL 59)._**

 ** _SP REGEN: 1% per minute (% increases by 1 every 10 LVLs at LVL: 60.)_**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/54,775_**

 ** _Location: Vale/Inner District/Unknown Location_**

 ** _\- Biological Stats -_**

 ** _Hunger: 76/100_** ** _— 90/100 = 50% stat decrease, afflictions will occur._**

 ** _Stamina: 14/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 86/100_** ** _— 90/100 = 50% stat decrease, afflictions will occur._**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 57 [65 / 2 = 32.5]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 59 [67 + 6.7 / Last Laugh = 73.7. 73.7 / 2 = 36.85]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50 / 2 = 25]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 65 [70 + 7 / Last Laugh = 77]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 52 [57]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52 / 2 = 26]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72 / 2 = 36]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**

Of course, it had taken a few minutes (thanks to the side-effects) to ascertain a small, tiny letter that dangled by the edge of the cabinet. The writing was precise, yet somewhat untidy because of the variation in writing size. One moment, the writing was small, but then it'd become gargantuan. It was almost scrambled, but he could barely recognise the writing.

* * *

 _'Dear Rat, otherwise known as one of the Queen's henchmen._

 _You must be wondering why you're here, and not within a prison. It is a difficult question for everyone to answer; I'd be surprised if someone could easily answer it (barring you). You are here simply because I'm aware of your circumstances, especially amongst those related to the Queen's assignments, but I suppose you won't need to worry about those assignments anymore. There'll be more on that later._

 _I have sent you to a certain area within the inner-quarters of Vale. Considering your... expertise _ _on Vale's structure and its designs, there are expectations for you to leave quietly and without detection. You can choose to wear the mask, but I do not recommend you to do this because it'll cause dire consequences beyond your control. If you still wear the mask and lurk within the city, then that is an obvious confirmation of your arrogance and, to a greater extent, your fascinating stupidity. Perhaps you'd be known as the one of the greatest idiots to live in Vale, not one of the greatest criminals._

 _I'm not going to lie to you, it might be strange to hear this after such a long service under her of all people, but I assure you that once you're no longer working under the Queen, it's a great experience to leave her organisation. No more crime life, no more killing. Just a life of freedom and normalcy that'll (hopefully) be the next step of your adventure in Remnant._

 _You are no longer working under the Queen; but don't worry, she doesn't know who actually stopped the train. If anything, your plan of having a fake mole within the White Fang worked well, except she doesn't believe that the dead member did spy on the organisation. Luckily for you, however, she believes you (unlike Roman Torchwick and Neo) to be one of the loyal members. But remember, that luck might run out soon._

 _Now? You can do whatever you want: be a criminal, try and re-enter the organisation, or maybe leave Vale. Who knows what'll happen? I certainly don't know; I don't know what the future will be like. If I were you, though, I'd run as far away as you can from Vale and never look back._

 _Not leaving Vale will be the greatest mistake of your life, and it may be your last._

 _With neutral regards,_

 _Rook_

* * *

It was unsigned. There were a few people who could've written the note, but Jaune didn't have anyone to think of. It could've been anyone from Cinder Fall to Roman Torchwick, but either way, he was technically free (unless the person who had sent the note was lying just for the sake of trying to lure him out for an arrest). But, regardless, there were a few questions to ask: where was Neo? Why did Neo help him escape from the prison? Why did she decide to stab him in the leg just to make him unconscious? Where was Roman? Hell, where exactly was he in the inner districts?

Regardless, Jaune felt a great amount of suspicion, and he wasn't going to ignore it. One of the many lessons learned from committing crime while under Cinder Fall's organisation was that ignoring your own suspicions about a certain situation or object was one of the worst mistakes you could make. And considering the fact that he messed up recently? Well, that simply meant he couldn't make another mistake.

So, with a quiet pace, Jaune treaded through the room and looked at the door. He frowned; wasn't opening the door of an old house in the middle of the inner districts a horrible idea? What if there were traps, or bombs just waiting to activate because some idiot decided to open the door by twisting the doorknob? Jaune listened carefully for any clanks or other strange noises, but he heard nothing. Either the person known as Rook was dangerously competent or a fool for trying to contain him such a... lacking location.

As Jaune climbed onto the rooftop, he looked down below at the broken mask facing him. It was shattered, and now that he thought of it, there was only a a few pieces remaining on the frames. It looked so damaged that it wouldn't look out of place in a metallic wasteland; it was fitting, considering what had happened. And so he sat there, gazing at the sun quietly with thoughts in his head. They were random, almost pointless thoughts, ones of such non-importance that they didn't deserve to be noticed. The only acknowledgement they'd earn was the observation of how... unimportant they were.

He turned around, got off the bricks and looked at the glass laying there on the side. His face was pale white, with eyes blood-shot from sheer exhaustion. Greater evidence was given by the gargantuan black-bags under his eyes. He also noted the many, many scars that trailed down his arms and the rest of his body, but he supposed that'd be due to his... extensive life-style. Well, what was his life-style, anyways.

However, he needed to think about this. Did he really need to save Vale from Cinder? Why did Neo save him? Why did anyone want to help him? Why this, why that, he needed to know the answers. In his mind, he was either Rat or Jaune or **_him_** but he didn't even know who he actually was now. For so long, he tried to be the person who saved Vale, but after killing so many people, VPD officers, and the fact that he tried to kill his own former friends...

There'd be a time to decide later.

Hopefully.

However, as he gazed at the end of the rooftop, he couldn't help but notice something. It certainly put him on guard.

It was a parasol.

* * *

 ** _~ Stats ~_**

 ** _Post-Season 2 Jaune Arc_**

 ** _Name: Rat (?/Jaune Arc)_**

 ** _LVL: 53_**

 ** _Title: Peace-Seeker (Anti-Villain? Who knows?)_**

 ** _BONUS:_** ** _"Last Laugh_** ** _" — + 10% INT, + 10% DEX, 10% Chance of Madness during battles/fights/certain situations._**

 ** _HP: 2230.45/5350_**

 ** _HP REGEN: 1% per minute_** ** _(% increases by 1 every 10 LVLs at LVL: 60.)_**

 ** _MP: 3605.64/5427_**

 ** _MP REGEN: 1% per minute_** ** _(% increases by 1 every 10 LVLs at LVL: 60.)_**

 ** _SP: 2655.76/5427_**

 ** _SP (AURA) modifiers will evolve at LVL: 80, or AURA LEVEL exceeds LVL 80. (AURA LEVEL = LVL 59)._**

 ** _SP REGEN: 1% per minute (% increases by 1 every 10 LVLs at LVL: 60.)_**

 ** _EXP: 9,965/54,775_**

 ** _Location: Vale/Inner District/Unknown Location_**

 ** _\- Biological Stats -_**

 ** _Hunger: 77/100_** ** _— 90/100 = 50% stat decrease, afflictions will occur._**

 ** _Stamina: 14/100_**

 ** _Dehydration: 88/100_** ** _— 90/100 = 50% stat decrease, afflictions will occur._**

 ** _\- General Stats-_**

 ** _Strength: 57 [65 / 2 = 32.5]_**

 ** _Dexterity: 59 [67 + 6.7 / Last Laugh = 73.7. 73.7 / 2 = 36.85]_**

 ** _Vitality: 46 [50 / 2 = 25]_**

 ** _Intelligence: 65 [70 + 7 / Last Laugh = 77]_**

 ** _Wisdom: 52 [57]_**

 ** _Perception: 50 [52 / 2 = 26]_**

 ** _Agility: 72 [72 / 2 = 36]_**

 _ **Gamer's Mind Influence: 0/10 (1 point per minute. Point is taken off per six mins after use. Reset after an hour.)**_

 ** _Stat Points: 0_**


End file.
